The Kindness Of Strangers
by EmilyF.6
Summary: All-Human. When Dr. Edward Cullen finds a young woman alone on the streets, he does everything he can to help her, but will she allow herself to be helped? (contains mentions of rape)
1. Mystery Girl

**_Hi everyone :). So after my computer crashed and I lost everything, I really needed to work on something different. I'm not going to abandon my stories Wrecked or Shield. I just needed a little break._**

_Edward_

I hate the rain. And the cold. And stupid, pointless meetings that don't involve being an actual doctor. I especially hate stupid pointless meetings that take place at six pm and go until almost ten two at night in the dead of winter, with rain pounding down mixed with sleet and ice on nights when I, for some reason unbeknownst to even myself, decided to take a cab.

And, because I was already having such a great day, after the stupid pointless meeting that ran for almost four painfully long hours, standing on the street corner, waving down taxis that didn't stop and hoping no one took me for a male prostitute, I decided to walk home. In the ice rain. With an umbrella who had seen better days.

I found myself grumbling under my breath, speaking to myself and the empty street about winter and cold and stupid pointless meetings with the other residents at the hospital about bed pans and IV needles and books full of procedures that I'd memorized a year into medical school. Having a dad as the chief of surgery had lots of perks, but those perks did not include getting me out of meetings for obvious reasons. Heaven forbid he show favoritism. He had chuckled under his breath when he'd caught me drawing a diagram of a cell on my notes, then a frog, and then a few cartoon ducks. The woman next to me had shaken her head disapprovingly, but I couldn't care less what _Doctor _Alice Cullen, my beloved little sister who was hoping to specialize in pediatrics and who had been kicking me under the table for at least an hour?

I kept my head up, looking around and making sure I was really alone. This wasn't the best part of town. Of course, I could have asked my dad for a ride, but he was driving Alice home and I knew my mom missed him...he'd been at the hospital for nearly a week straight, never taking time off and barely seeing his wife. I wasn't about to take away any more time from my mother when it was my own stupid fault that I hadn't taken my car. 'Idiot.' I snapped under my breath, pulling they collar of my coat up against the wind.

I paused on the sidewalk when I heard something strange...sniffling. Two years as a doctor and I was trained to hear people crying. Sometimes they cried when they were scared. Sometimes they cried because the pain was too much and it spilled from their eyes and mouths in agonized sobs. Sometimes little children curled up in the corner and cried because they didn't understand why their mom or dad or bother or sister wasn't waking up...or why they were suddenly alone in a waiting room surrounded by strange adults in white coats trying to explain things they wer too young to comprehend. Just a few days ago, I'd sat on the floor across from a tiny girl huddled in the corner who'd watched her father beat her mother to death. She'd called 911 like they'd told her to in school, and then she shut down, huge tears pooling in her baby blue eyes. Eventually, she'd let me pick her up, curling her fingers around my white coat and sobbed into my neck. I'd almost joined her when the woman from social services had come to take her.

It sounded like a woman. I looked around, checking the doorways of shop-fronts and even the street. Maybe someone had been hit by a car. But there were no bodies on the sidewalk. I walked toward the sound as best I could with the wind screaming at me. But there was definitely a woman crying somewhere, and I couldn't exactly leave her out in the street alone. "Hello?" I spoke tentatively into the wind, knowing my voice wasn't going to carry, but hoping none the less.

And then, just when I was starting to doubt my own sanity, I saw her. A tiny woman, soaked to the bone, huddled against a building in the narrow alley, rocking back and forth with her arms around her legs. She was dressed only in a sweatshirt and jeans, her feet covered in worn tennis shoes. "Hello?" I moved closer, crouching across from her, my umbrella almost covering her, but she didn't look up, only rocking back and forth and crying, her entire body trembling. I knew she had to be freezing, but I was afraid to touch her or startle her. "Miss? I'm a doctor...my name is Edward. Are you okay? Do you need help? Miss?" It took a while, but she finally looked up. In the dark alley, all I could see were large brown eyes in a pale, frightened face. "Are you okay?" I asked again, tilting the umbrella and trying to cover her without getting too close.

"He took my purse." She sobbed, looking at me as though I would somehow have all the answers to her problems. "He had a gun...why?" She choked on her words, burying her face in her knees again, and I chanced scooting a little closer to cover her with my umbrella and she didn't seem to notice.

"Did he hurt you?" I asked gently, starting to reach out, but before I could touch her, she looked up, startled at my hand frozen in mid air.

"He took my purse." She repeated, wide eyes pleading with me as though I could somehow get her purse back for her. "Everything I had...all my money, my phone...my medicine..." She broke off, burying her face once more, and I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Medicine?" I asked, my thoughts racing. "Do you need me to take you to the hospital?" I asked gently, squeezing her shoulder, then letting go when she flinched as though I'd hurt her. "Miss? What kind of medicine?"

"No." She whispered. "No hospital."

"Okay, do you want me to call the police? Or is there a family member I can call?"

"No."

"Okay..." I sighed. "Can I take you home?" She shook her head, her face hidden in her arms. "I can't leave you here, miss. You need to dry off...you'll die out here." She didn't respond and I was at a loss. Finally, I reached out under her arm, pulling her gently to her feet. She followed dumbly, letting me help her to stand and tuck her under my arm and the umbrella. She was shaking in my arms, and I wanted to get her to the hospital, but I she'd asked me not to take he there.

I helped her to the side of the street and waved an arm. Something about having a woman with you seemed to convince taxi drivers to have some mercy, and I helped her into the back of one, barking out my address to the driver and, as soon as we made it to my building, I threw some bills into the front seat. "He took my purse." She mumbled as I nearly carried her into the house, and I hoped she wasn't getting sick...that she didn't need whatever medicine someone had taken from her immediately.

I almost had to carry her through my front door, fighting to get my key in th door and push it shut behind me. Immediately, I headed to the bathroom, swinging the girl into my arms and turning on the warm water to fill my giant tub. She was pale, huge brown eyes leaking tears as she repeated once more that the nameless man had taken her purse. "I know honey." I spoke as though she were my sister, crying and frightened. "I'm going to get you in a warm bath...you're going to get sick if I can't get you warmed up, and then I'll have to take you to the hospital." She didn't respond, but she did nod just a little, and I shut off the water, testing it to make sure it wasn't too hot.

Kneeling in front of where the girl sat on the toilet, I untied her tennis shoes, glancing up at her to make sure she was okay with it. She just stared at me wide-eyed, the expression making her look like a frightened child. I wondered how old she was...and why she didn't have anyone I could call. Her shoes and socks revealed wet, pale feet, and I smiled a bit at her red toenails with little white flowers painted on the big toenails. "I never had one before." She whispered, and I looked up at her, noticing that she was looking at her feet. "A pedicure...I thought they were pretty..." She broke off in a sob and I straightened, putting my hands on her shoulder and steadying hr.

"They are pretty...but they might fall off if I don't get you warmed up." I tried to tease, and I was rewarded with a tiny little smile. "Can you get undressed? I'll leave you some clothes to change into, okay? You need some sleep...I'll sleep on the couch tonight, and we can talk tomorrow, okay?" She took a deep breath, obviously trying to gather herself, and nodded. "Okay, I'll leave the clothes on the bed. You can lock the door if you want." This woman was staying with a strange man...who knew what she'd been through. She'd flinched when I'd squeezed her shoulder...maybe she'd been hurt. Maybe a man had hurt her. I was just glad she was letting me help her now. She hadn't seemed too skittish but that could be because she was in shock.

I heard the quiet splash of water and smiled to myself as I dug through my dresser, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a shirt that might almost fit her. She was a tiny thing...almost too small around her waist and arms. Folding the clothes, I sat them on the bed and debated about calling my brother's wife. Rosalie worked at a women's shelter, and specialized in helping battered women. It was possible that the young mystery girl fit the bill...then again, it was probably to late to call her. Emmett had mentioned taking her out to dinner, and I assumed that they were...busy after his anniversary gift.

After placing the clothes on the bed, I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, a few granola bars, and a pop tart...sadly the only things I really had in my kitchen besides eggs and bread...and a few ham and cheese breakfast sandwiches. Placing the water and food on the nightstand, I shut the door behind me, hoping that the girl would speak to me in the morning. It wasn't like I could just turn her out on the street, not knowing that she'd just been mugged and had no money to her name...and apparently no family or place to stay.

I grabbed some blankets and threw them on the couch, about to call it a night when the bedroom door opened and the girl appeared once more, her face peeking around the corner. "Hey. Everything okay?" I asked, wondering if she'd ever tell me her name. She didn't...instead came around the corner, her hands full of wet clothes and her face covered in a soft blush, framed by her still-wet hair. I stood, walking to where she huddled against th wall, but froze suddenly when I noticed that the shirt hung lower on her body than her sweater had, giving me a view of her lovely, thin neck and shoulders...that were covered in black and blue bruises that hugged her neck and both arms. My eyes softened when I met her shame-filled ones, and I reached out my arms. "I'll dry your clothes...they'll be ready to wear in th morning, okay?" I asked gently, making sure this time not to touch her.

"Thank you." She whispered, not meeting my eyes, and I nodded, carrying the clothes and placing them in the washer. The least I could do was clean them as well. When I turned around, she was gone, the bedroom door shutting with a soft click, and I sighed when I heard the lock turn. Although I'd planned to get some sleep and hopefully get her to the police station to report her bag missing early in the morning, I ended up staying awake for another hour, long enough to put her clean clothes in the dryer and watch a movie on cable. Thankfully, I had the next two days off, and I hoped to spend at least one of them figuring out my mystery guest. I hoped that Rosalie would be able to speak with her...to tell her who had hurt her. Rose's shelter worked to get women who had been victims of domestic abuse into apartments and jobs...and to keep them safe from the men who had hurt them. Emmett worked security along with my sister's husband, Jasper, who she'd met through Rosalie. He was a friendly southern guy with an easy, calm manner that the women usually trusted, and both men had taken shifts helping the other staff watch the kids before...mostly children who had been beaten by their fathers or the boyfriends of their mothers and were usually wary of men in general. But it was hard to be scared of Emmett unless you wanted him to be.

My father had been volunteering at his daughter-in-law's shelter for the better part of two years, and I'd started helping as well, and on off days, we were often recruited to help assemble beds, clean bathrooms, or even cook. The shelter could use all of the help it could get. My mom, a psychiatrist, as on the payroll as well, and it might as well have been called a family business since my niece, six year old Emilie, had just started going in after school to join in with the other kids and play with them. Thinking of the women reminded me of the girl. She was in the city, apparently alone, with no money or phone, no family or friends to help her. She didn't live here, or she'd have a house or an apartment to go to? Had she just been passing through when the bad luck had hit? Or had she been running from something...or someone?

When I finally woke up, I was surprised to find it was nearly ten in the morning, five hours later than I usually slept. Jolting upright, I looked around to find the living room empty, the quiet of house worrying me a little. I jumped up, going to the bedroom and knocking quietly only to receive no answer. As quietly as I could, I tried to turn the knob, surprise that it gave easily. I'd thought she had locked the door the night before. The bedroom was dark, since the curtains were still drawn against the morning light. In my bed, huddled in an exhausted ball, lay my mystery guest, rolled up in a tiny cocoon of blankets and pillows. She slept like the dead, her head buried in my thick pillows, and I chuckled softly. Just as I passed her to use the bathroom, she stirred a little.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, and I turned to her, about to ask why she though she needed to be sorry when I realized her eyes were still closed. "Sorry, sorry...I didn't..." She nestled back into the pillow and spoke again, this time too quietly for me to understand. Why was she sorry? My bladder chose that moment to inform me that it didn't particularly care why the strange girl in my bed was sorry, and I hurried into the bathroom, locking the door behind me, glad that the girl had, at some point, unlocked the door so that I could use toilet.

I flinched when the toilet flushed loudly in the silence, but when I left the small room after washing my hands, the girl was still asleep, her entire body except for her head encased in blankets. PEeking out from the covers, I could see the top of her neck and the bruised skin there and reminded myself to call Rosalie. In the mean time, I noticed that the bottle of water was empty and that the wrapper for the pop tart and all of the granola bars were in the trash by the nightstand. I grabbed the water bottle, taking it with me to throw in the trash and grabbed her another before starting breakfast.

It wasn't too long before I heard my dryer open and the bedroom door close once more, and she appeared in the kitchen, peaking her head around the refrigerator. "Good morning." I greeted, placing a plate full of eggs and toast with a breakfast sandwich on the side in front of her, then handed her another bottle of water. "I'm going to go take a shower, and then maybe we can talk, okay?" Sh wouldn't meet my eyes, nor had she spoken, but she nodded a little. I gave her my best gentle smile and left her to eat her breakfast, sure that since she hadn't tried to leave last night that she would at lest stay long enough for me to try and get her some help.

I shouldn't have been surprised when I came out of the shower, however, to find the apartment empty, but I was. After the night before,I'd honestly thought she would let me help her...or at least take her to the police station to report her purse as stolen. I sighed deeply, rubbing my hand through my wet hair as I searched the small kitchen, then the bedroom and the closets, hoping despite myself that she was hiding somewhere. Her plate was clean, sitting in the drying rack, and she'd taken the bottle of water. Other than that, the apartment hadn't been disturbed. I looked out the window at the flakes of snow lazily drifting from the sky, wondering if I could spot her, but of course, she was nowhere to be seen on the nearly empty streets. As I moved into the living room, I found my little notepad sitting on my coffee table, a pen lying beside it, and she'd obviously pulled it out of my white coat that was hanging by the door. I picked up the note, closing my eyes and dropping into the couch. _Thank you Edward. -B._


	2. Seek and Find

**_Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoy. :)_**

_Edward_

"Okay, let me get this straight." I sighed, taking a long drink of my coffee and leaning against the refrigerator. I wasn't fooled by Rosalie's calm tone, but I figured it was better to let her rant, something I'd learned a full year before Emmett. "You find a terrified girl on the streets who has just been mugged, so you take her in. You feed her. You warm her up and make sure she's okay. You give her a place to sleep at night. And then what do you do?" I sighed, knowing exactly where this was gong. As she spoke, I stared at the plate in my dish drainer, cursing myself again for letting her go. "Well. You _don't _take her to the hospital. You _don't _call the police. You certainly don't call your sister-in-law who happens to rum a shelter for women just like this. Oh no. You leave her alone and let her run away! Edward you have no idea what state of mind this girl was in! The poor girl just got mugged and she's obviously been hurt by someone! And then she stays in the home of sone strange man that could be lying to her about being a doctor...who could be doing all this to gain her trust before he decides to rape and murder her!"

"I was just going to take a shower and let her eat. And then I was going to talk to her...convince her to let me call the police." I spoke softly, trying to calm her down.

"Oh, well I'm glad you had a plan. That obviously worked out so well."

"Look Rose, I wasn't going to force the poor girl to talk to the police or drag her to the hospital. I gave her food and water and a place to stay for the night...I got the feeling that she was afraid to talk to the police. "

"There's a shock."

"Will you give it a rest?" I snapped. "I was kind of in shock myself! She was terrified and she'd just been mugged and she was barely talking...she didn't even tell me her name. She signed her name as 'B.'"

"She spoke English?" She clarified, sounding a little less irritated.

"Fluently from what I could tell, but she barely spoke. Kept saying that the guy took her purse...that it had everything in it."

"There are flyers and signs for my shelter on every street corner and in every gas station from her to the next town over...we all made sure of that." Rosalie's voice had softened just a bit. "If she needs help, we can just hope she finds it." I grunted noncommittally. "It's your day off, right?"

"Yeah." I murmured, my mind whirring. "I'm going to get some things done. I'll come by tonight to help out,okay? We're supposed to get a snowstorm."

"Alright, Edward. Try not to worry too much about her." Her voice had turned gentle, and I knew that she worried too. If Rose could save very poor woman on the street, then she would. So would I...and I knew exactly how I was going to spend my day.

The streets were close to empty as I drove up and down them, peeking down every alley as the snow continued to fall lazily. I got out of my car and went into every gas station, every supermarket, checking to see if I could spot her anywhere. I found some homeless huddled in alleys or in line for other shelters in the area. Of course, there was no way any of the shelters would tell me if she had checked herself in. I drove by Rosalie's shelter and another that allowed men and women, then drove around the block until it was nearly noon, which was when I started checking restaurants and back alleys. I knew the chances of finding this girl, one young frightened women in a sea of people, was slim to none. But I also felt guilty...and something else, but I focused on the guilt. I needed to help this woman. I was a doctor...that's what I did. I wanted to help this frightened, isolated...absolutely beautiful young woman.

Not surprisingly, I had no luck. I parked outside of a fast food place, grabbing a burger and at in my car, keeping an eye on the back alley for a girl with bruises on her arms and long brown hair. My phone rang as I was swallowing a fry and I pulled it out, holding it to my ear. "Hey Dad." I mumbled around the food.

"Son...am I interrupting your lunch?" He asked with a chuckle, and I hummed in agreement. "Are you going to the shelter tonight?"

"Yeah, there's going to be a snowstorm and Rose is going to need help...Mom's staying late too, right?"

"Yes...Edward, Rose told me about your guest last night."

"Yeah, she told me exactly what she thought about me this morning."

"Well, I have to admit, you might have handled that a little differently, but I wanted to say that I'm proud of you. You saved that girl's life. She most likely would have died in th street without you. It was her choice to run...but you gave her one more night."

"I've been looking for her all morning." I admitted. He chuckled softly.

"I figured you had been. You're just like your mother. I hope she gets help."

"Me too." I murmured, resting my chin on the steering wheel. "She said that she what everything in her purse...she was just ranting...I don't think she knew what she was saying, but she mentioned medicine. I asked her...she wouldn't say what kind. She didn't really say anything other than he took her purse and she thanked me." My father sighed, and I could see him leaning over, elbows on his knees, chin in his hand. He hated to see people suffer...he was the kindest, most compassionate person I'd ever met, which was astounding considering how his father had treated him.

"Rose has plenty of signs for her shelter. Your mother told me to tell you that she was praying for the girl...she also told me to tell you that she didn't see you at church last Sunday...or the week before...or for the last few months, for that matter." I chuckled, swallowing the last of my coke.

"Right. Tell her the prayers are appreciated, the nagging is not." He laughed aloud.

"Sure, son. I'll get right on that. Actually, I'll let you tell her tonight." I snorted. Like that was going to happen...she'd smack me with a cast iron skillet if I ever spoke to her like that. "Did Rosalie say if Emmett was going to be there tonight?"

"I'm sure he will, why?"

"Well, your mother and I are headed to the cabin in Montana for the week and we just wanted to see him before we left."

"Dad, we live in Seattle. Don't you get enough of the cold here?"

"It's romantic, Edward. Your mother and I don't even notice the cold."

"And that is the perfect place to stop giving me details." He chuckled.

"I'll see you tonight, Edward. And who knows. Maybe your mystery girl will be there." I hummed, hoping just that as I watched the back alley behind the restaurant to no avail.

Rose's Shelter for Women and Children, located nearly in the center of town, was a large brick structure that was once a high school. They'd taken the classrooms and converted them into rooms for the women, little cubicles sectioned off by curtains to give them privacy that could be moved to accommodate women with small children. These rooms, located on the upper floor and in the back, were for women and children only. Even myself and my father were only allowed in the common spaces where any of the staff could be, the nurse's office, Esme's office which doubled as an examination room when need be, and the large designated examination room with curtains for privacy.

We were also allowed in the kitchen and general dining room, the nursery for small children that weren't feeling well, and the room that served as a living room with shelves of books and toys for children and a TV. A young woman worked the front desk, while Emmett patrolled the common areas with Jasper. On most days, there was little for them to actually do, other than the cleaning duties they'd adopted to help Rose save money. Local churches would bring in donations and they would sometimes help sort things, handing out toys to kids or giving them snacks, other times just playing with the kids while the moms were at work, either in the shelter itself or at a local busniess that had hired them. Many of the local businesses had partnered with Rose, providing donations and accepting women and teens for part time work.

When I arrived, I found Emmett on the floor, lying on his back under a mountain of children, and I had to chuckle. Jasper stood back, his arms crossed, a huge grin on his face and little Emilie on his shoulders and leaning on his head. "Hey, kiddo. Where's your dad?" I asked playfully, swinging her into my arms and pretending to look for Emmett.

"He's down there! They wanted to play king of the hill, and daddy's the hill!" I chuckled.

"Yeah, I can see that. And your mom?"

"Emmett Cullen!" I snorted.

"Speak of the devil." Jasper muttered.

"I'm telling Mommy you called her that." The girl informed Jasper solemnly, and I snorted, releasing the little girl to jump into her mother's arms.

"Emmett, I told you to start on the dishes! Stop fooling around!"

"I'm trying, honey, but I have been vanquished!" He cried dramatically, dropping his head to th floor unde the stack of kids all climbing on his stomach.

"Emmett, I'm going to count to three..." The children all giggled as Rose crossed her arms, tapping her food as little Emilie mimicked her pose. "One..." The children scrambled off of him as he began tickling him, and Jasper retrieved one of the little girls that had refused to move, swinging her up above his head and letting her sit up on his shoulders. "Two..."

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" He cried, struggling to get upright, and I offered a hand, tugging my huge, linebacker brother to his feet. In high school, he'd been a football star. Now, he was big enough to convince any lowlife that decided to come after the women or children at the shelter to turn around and go home. He'd never been a violent person, but he would never let a woman or child be harmed if he had anything to say about it, which was part of why the kids loved him so much, and Jasper was the same way.

As Emmett scurried off to do the dishes, Jasper put the girl on the ground and kept an arm around her shoulders, crouching down to her level. "Hey, Vanessa, this is Edward. He's a doctor. You think he can take a look at your throat? He can make it feel better." He glanced up at me and I nodded, swinging her up in my arms and grinning when she squealed happily.

"Your throat hurts, huh?" I asked, carrying her on my hips and into the back examination room and tapping on the nurse's door as I went. Rose had gone to get her mother, but in the mean time, I needed to have another woman present as part of the protocol to keep the girls safe. I didn't mind...I'd rather the girls and their mothers feel as secure as possible. I sat the girl on the examination table and opened up my black bag. "You see this?" I asked, holding up one of my tools. "This is going to let me look in your throat." At that moment, Rose entered, nodding at the nurse who was standing over by the door, followed by an older blonde woman.

"Carol, this is Edward, my brother-in-law. He can get your girl something to make her feel better. The woman nodded, managing a smile for me, and I smiled gently at her.

"You wanna try on me?" I asked, smiling when the little girl nodded. "Okay, just hold it like this, and look through here." I prompted, handing Vanessa the tool and opening my mouth for her to look. She giggled, sticking it into my mouth, and I laughed, pulling away a little bit and taking the tool. "Alright. My turn." She opened her mouth eagerly, and I examined her throat.

There were three more kids that needed to be looked at, one with a sprained ankle that I wrapped, and two women who had been feeling ill. My father saw a few women as well, along with a couple of kids while the others busied themselves in the kitchen to make dinner. It was starting to show pretty heavily outside, and I glanced out the window every few minutes, hoping in vain to spot the young woman who'd been on my mind all day. Carlisle worked on the other side of the room and noticed my preoccupation as I held the stethoscope to a woman's back.

"Maybe she found somewhere else to stay for the night?" He told me softly as he pulled his prescription pad from his own bag. I nodded, biting down on my lip. "Maybe she's here somewhere...you know, some of the women are still in their rooms." I nodded again, giving the woman a gentle touch on her shoulder.

"Just take ibuprofen, and if the symptoms persist for more than a day, tell Rose, okay?" The woman nodded, hopping off the table with a hand from me, and I peeked my head out, gesturing for the little boy who was waiting with his mother. "Hey, buddy." I greeted, helping him up on the table and was about to ask his mother what I could help them with when here were footsteps on the hall and a teenage girl with her arm in a sling and her face covered in bruises knocked on the door, startling all of us.

"Dr. Cullen!" She cried, starting a bit when we both turned, but recovered quickly. "There's something wrong with Marie!" She looked between us fearfully.

"I've got it." My dad told me softly, turning to the woman. "Can you help her in here?"

"I'm scared to move her! She's been in bed since she got here this morning, and she's bleeding and crying." For a moment, I had a grain of hope, but it disappeared when she told me her name. My mystery girl had signed her name 'B' and she would have had no reason to lie about an initial.

"Nurse, can you come with me? Edward, tell Rose what's going one when she comes by." I nodded, meeting the wide eyed gaze of the little boy on the table.

"Is Ms. Marie going to be okay?" He asked me quickly, and I smiled, ruffling his hair, but it felt forced.

"My dad's a great doctor. He's going to do his best to take care of her." I promised, listening to his breathing...or trying to, as he had started talking again. I smiled, waiting for him to stop so that I could get a good listen.

"She's really nice...she came in this morning and she read a book to us before she started feeling bad. She said her tummy hurt."

"Sam..." His mother tried to get a word in edgewise, but he kept on,

"My tummy hurts sometimes too, so I went with her to her room and I read to her while she was in bed...well, I can't read but I pretended and she cried and told me thank you when I was done. Why do you think she cried? Do you think it's because her tummy hurt? Am I going to get really sick too? If I get really sick do I have to stay in bed all day like Ms. Marie or can I go outside and play? Mr. Emmett and Mr. Jasper watch us play outside so that nobody hurts us." His voice became just a little more subdued and I took the opportunity to listen to him breath, shaking my head at his mom before she could scold him.

"I'm sure Ms. Marie was just crying because she was happy. You know, girls do that sometimes. It was very nice of you to keep her company. And no, I don't think you are going to get sick, but if you were, I'll bet Emmett would sit on the couch and read to you. He's my brother, you know?" His eyes went wide and he looked up at me with a surprised smile. "I think your sore throat should be gone by tomorrow. I'm going to give your mommy some medicine for you, and it tastes really icky, but it's going to make you feel better, and if you're good and take your medicine, your mom might even take you out for ice cream. Okay?"

"Okay! Thank you Edward!" He jumped off the bed, ignoring the hand I'd held out to help him, and was too busy telling Rose all about how nice I was to notice me handing his mom five dollars to get him some ice cream.

"My treat." I insisted firmly when she started to shake her head. "Bribery makes getting them to take their medicine a lot easier. Besides, it really is gross." She laughed softly, thanking me and taking the prescription. I told Rose where my dad had gone and began to clean up the room, changing the paper on the bed

Sam was the last patient, and I was about to go help Emmett in the kitchen when my father came back in, sighing heavily, blood on his white coat that he shed as soon as he entered the room and shut the door behind him. "How is she?" I asked softly.

"Miscarriage." He told me simply. "Poor girl...covered in bruises. It's obvious she was running from someone...she was scared but she was in too much pain to protest when I tried to help her. The bleeding is under control and the miscarriage was complete. I'm going to swing by the hospital tomorrow before we go so that Rose can bring her in to let me check to see if everything's okay. She's still in some pain, but I gave her something to help her sleep."

"How old is she?" I wondered, grimacing for the poor girl.

"Maybe twenty five." He guessed. "She doesn't have any ID and Rose said that she hasn't really talked to anyone but the kids since she got here. I'm not sure if she even knew she was pregnant. She didn't mention it when she came in. I found her a hot water bottle to help with the cramping and Rose has a wet rag for her forehead...no fever but she was obviously uncomfortable."

I nodded, sighing as I threw my tools into the bag. "I can go in...so that you can leave for your trip."

"I told her I would be there." He told me simply, and I nodded.

"What does she look like?" He lifted an eyebrow. "When they said she'd just gotten here today...I thought maybe..."

"Her name is Marie. Last time I checked, that doesn't start with a B."

"She could be using a fake name." He shrugged, knowing as well as I did that that was a likely scenario.

"I'm sure there are no shortages of brown-haired twenty-five year old women in this city with bruises on their neck and arms." That was certainly true...besides, what were the odds?

I spent the rest of the night desperate to break the rules I'd been so quick to agree to when I'd started working at the shelter. As I served food to the overflow of women trying to find shelter and the little children that hid behind their legs, as I handed out extra blankets to the women who slept on the floor because they ran out of beds, as I helped Emmett and Jasper clean up until midnight, I thought about the girl. The miscarriage had been complete according to Carlisle, so the fetus had been completely expelled, even though he was going to check up on her tomorrow.

The girl in my apartment last night hadn't been showing if she was pregnant, but if it was early in her pregnancy then that wasn't surprising. She could have experienced morning sickness without me knowing. I hadn't spent nearly enough time with her to be able to tell she was pregnant. If it was her, if my mystery girl, but some twist of fate, was in this very building and was going to be taken to my father by my sister-in-law tomorrow, where was the father of the child? It was never good to make assumptions,but I'd be willing to put money on th fact that the father of the child was the person the girl was running from. Either way, I knew one sure way to find out if my mystery girl and Marie were the same person...I just so happened to have forgotten my lucky pen in my locker at the hospital the day before, and I really needed it back.


	3. The Family Business

**_Hi everyone. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I promise to try and respond as soon as possible to everyone's reviews! Thank you to very one who left a guest review as well. I really appreciate it._**

_Bella_

Rose, the beautiful blonde woman who'd spoken to me when I'd crept into the building, keeping an eye on the giant man leaning casually against the wall in the corner, woke me in the morning, her hand gentle on my shoulder as she shook me. She was, by far, the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, but she also seemed like one of the kindest. She'd taken one look at me and had led me to her office and sat me down, fetching me a bottle of water and then sitting across from me at her desk. Her voice had been gentle as she'd asked for my name, which was the only information I'd been willing to give, but she'd seemed to understand, bringing me a meal from the kitchen for breakfast, then showing me to my own little bed behind a curtain. Then, she'd showed me to the living room where the little kids had immediately begged me to read them a story. Kids I could handle.

One boy in particular had helped keep my mind off of my cramping stomach, and when I'd finished their picture book and had struggled to get to my feet, flinching away when a blond man made to step forward and give me a hand, the little boy had followed me to my bed, bringing along his story book and chattering on at me, making up his own story as he went and keeping me company. These people reminded me of the man that had found me on the street...Edward. Dr. Edward, if he could be trusted. He certainly had the white coat. But I couldn't have stayed...if he was as kind as he seemed, then I couldn't bear to impose. I wasn't ever going to impose on anyone ever again...I wasn't going to rely on anyone else...owe anyone if I didn't have to. Even though he hadn't done anything to suggest that his motives were anything but pure, I wasn't about to take my chances. These people, at the shelter...this was their job. They'd signed up for this. He hadn't.

A few hours after the little boy had left to go play, I felt the cramps get worse, and it hadn't been long before it was impossible to keep quiet. A girl passing by had apparently fetched a doctor, and an older blond man had been at my side in the next minute, placing a gentle hand on my stomach and then partially undressing me. It hurt too much to fight, and he assured me over and over that he was a doctor and that he was going to help me. I didn't have much chance to argue.

A miscarriage. I had been pregnant...with his child. And I'd had a miscarriage. There was some irony there somewhere if I'd cared to look for it, but somehow I just felt even more numb. Rosalie knelt by my bedside, her hand still on my shoulder, and asked me if I needed help getting up. I took stock for a minute, but the pain wasn't any worse than I was used to, so I shook my head, fighting a wince as I sat up and tentatively swinging my feet over the edge. "I'm going to let you get changed, and then I'll drive you to the hospital, okay? My father-in-law, Emmett's father, he's the doctor that helped you last night." She told me, stepping back and resting a hand on my shoulder. I nodded, smiling a little at her, but I wasn't able to keep the expression on my face. I was still so tired...and other than that, I couldn't quite feel anything. But I changed into the clothes that had been left by my bed and followed her out to a nice car, folding myself into the seat and staring out the window on the way. It was like I was in a daze that I couldn't quite get out of...honestly I didn't know if I wanted to get out of it, if I wanted to face how I was feeling about this.

I was glad that Rosalie didn't seem to be one of those people that felt the need to fill the silence with constant chatter. I'd had enough of that...the first few days, I'd driven in total silence, just soaking it in. It was wonderful, the quiet. He had never been quiet...I don't know if he knew how. Before too long, we were pulling into the hospital parking lot. There was hardly any traffic on the road, and the snow piled against the sidewalk in drifts. I was glad I'd spotted that sign for the shelter...I probably would have died of exposure otherwise. Seattle was cold and dreary, and I hated the weather, but he knew that, and I was hoping that would keep him from looking here. Rosalie waited for me to climb out of the car before leading me up to the hospital and to the front desk where an old woman stared at us, her fingers still moving on her computer keyboard. "We're here to see Dr. Carlisle Cullen." She informed the woman sharply, and the woman, rather than taking offense at the abrupt tone, just nodded and pressed some more keys.

"Go on back, Rosalie." She told her simply, and Rosalie led me through the hallway and through a set of doors. I'd stopped keeping track, honestly, and Rosalie didn't seem to mind. Instead, she stopped us at a door and knocked, and the handsome blond man from the night before opened the door and smiled at us. Immediately, I dropped my eyes, a force of habit, and hunched my shoulders, wishing I could go back to bed. I was so tired.

"Hello, Marie. Come on in. Would you like Rosalie to stay?" I shrugged. More than anything, I wanted her to stay, but I wasn't about to say that.

"I'll be right outside the door, Marie." Rosalie assured me softly, shutting the door behind her and I was left with the friendly doctor that lead me over to the examination table, and I jumped up, staring at the wall as he moved around me.

"Can you lay back, Marie." I did as he said and waited for him to do the ultrasound. "Can you tell me if you are feeling any discomfort?" I swallowed hard, then shook my head. It hurt, but not as bad as it had last night. "Marie?" I looked up at him, choosing to stare at his nose rather than into his eyes. "We're you aware that you were pregnant." I quickly decided there was no reason to keep that from him and I sook my head. "Is the father..." I zoned out for the rest of that question. I wasn't going to tell him anything about the man who'd gotten me pregnant, friendly or not. After a few minutes, he wiped my stomach with a rag and stepped back, letting pull my shirt back down. "I just want to get some blood work and then you can go. Okay?" This time I nodded, and he helped me down and into another chair.

The night before, there had been so much blood, but I'd been lightheaded anyway, and there hadn't been much time to notice and smell the blood. But now, with a doctor getting ready to inject me with a needle and take out my blood, I could feel myself getting dizzy. Turning my head firmly away, I stared at the wall as I felt the little pinch, and ignored the soft voice of the doctor as he tried to get me to talk. The band on my arm was squeezing so tight and the needle hurt and my head spun as I caught sight of the red liquid filling the little tube that was connected to the vial. "Marie?" I wanted to swear in frustration, but I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would throw up. Or scream. Either way, I had to keep quiet. I hummed, hoping that was good enough, but apparently not. "Maria, you look pale. Are you okay?" I wanted to answer him...to say that of course I was okay, and tell him to get on with it, but his face was covered in little black dots and that seemed weird. Before I could ask him what was going on, everything went dark.

This time when I woke, I still felt lightheaded, but I was lying on a bed, all traces of blood gone, a thin sheet covering me. "How are you feeling?" I groaned, wondering irrationally why these people wouldn't leave me alone. To my horror, my eyes were hot, and I had to bite my lip to keep the moisture from escaping. It wasn't supposed to be this hard! I'd had a plan! "Marie? Honey, can you hear me?"

The blond doctor who apparently had nothing better to do than sit at my bedside was touching my hand, gently resting his fingers over mine. "Marie? Can you hear me?" I hummed in affirmation, and he withdrew his hand. "I don't need to draw anymore blood...all of your blood work came back clean. How are you feeling?" I shrugged. "Do you typically have that reaction at the sight of blood?" He wondered, and I nodded, continuing to stare at the all. "You'll need to spend another day or two in bed before you feel back to one hundred percent, and I can get you something to help manage the pain, okay?"

"Thank you." It was the first time I'd actually spoken to him, and his eyes lit up like I'd just given him a puppy. He stepped back as I sat up, then handed me a box of orange juice and a packet of cookies to help my lightheadedness. I ignored the rest of what he said and found that Rosalie had sent Emmett to bring me back, since she had something she had to do something back at the shelter. The doctor must have spent at least five minutes reassuring me that Rosalie's husband took care of the girls when they needed it and would never hurt anyone, and for some reason I believed it. He was huge, but that goofy smile reminded me of little Sam who had read to me. As we walked out to the parking lot, I tried to remember if I'd thrown my juice away, but the fog seemed to surround me and my brain wasn't up to remembering.

Unlike his wife who drove a cute little face car, Emmett drove a monstrosity of a blue jeep. Thanks to the running board, I was able to climb in with no help, although he hovered behind me, ready to help, I assumed, if I needed it. As soon as I'd shut my door, Emmett climbed in across from me and started the jeep with a roar. My stomach still felt uneasy and I leaned against the door, my eyes closed as I slumped against the window. "You need me to call the doctor?" I had a feeling the large man was making his voice small to put me at ease and as tired and numb as I was feeling, I appreciated it. I lifted my lips into a tiny smile and shook my head.

"I'm okay." I assured him softly, grinning widely when he snorted, obviously not believing me.

"It'll be quiet when you get back, so you can lay down for a while." He told me quietly. "You hungry?" I shrugged. I wasn't trying to be difficult...I really just didn't know. It was like my body wasn't ready to feel anything other than exhaustion. "I was thinking about stopping by the drive through...Rose always yells at me when I eat fast food, so I have to do it when she's not with me."

"I won't tell." I assured him with another smile, but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes, and the next thing I knew, I was jolting awake and looking at a parking lot I didn't recognize, and I jumped upright, sitting straight and reaching for the door handle in blind panic.

"Marie." Emmett didn't yell...he didn't raise his voice or sound upset...he just spoke gently, getting my attention. "We're at McDonald's. I just wanted to park and eat something really quick since you were asleep. Are you okay?" He obviously had experience with crazy women and I nodded, keeping to my side of the cab and not meeting his eyes. What was wrong with me? I was still tired and my heart was racing even though I knew I wasn't in any danger and I felt sore and just so exhausted...but it wasn't like Emmett had given me any indication that he would hurt me. I knew he wouldn't. So why had I freaked out when I'd only been asleep for a few minutes? "I got you some chicken and fries...I didn't know if you'd be hungry...I don't think you had time for breakfast, did you?"

I shook my head, smiling at him and thanking him quietly, trying to remember when saying anything more than 'thank you' to a stranger had become such an impossibility...maybe when he'd started leaving bruises. "No problem." Emmett seemed to be perpetually cheerful, and it put me at ease as I nibbled at the food he passed me.

I swallowed a fry, clenching my hands in my lap and nearly shaking with effort. I'd come here to start a new life and damn it, I was going to have my new life, even if things weren't going according to plan! That meant talking to strangers, or rather, the friendly guy that was chauffeuring me around and buying me food. It took me a good five minutes, during which Emmett stuffed his mouth with food, apparently unaware of my dilemma, and I must have practiced the question I wanted to ask five hundred times, but of course, it didn't come out as planned. What I meant to ask was, 'what made you decide to work at the shelter?' What came out was, "Why aren't you a doctor like your dad?" I covered my mouth as soon as he words escaped my mouth, staring at him in embarrassed horror, but he choked on his food a little, guffawing loudly, and I had to smile a bit at the ridiculous sight of the grown man spilling ketchup from his fries all down his shirt.

"I'm so sorry..." I murmured, giving him a sheepish smile when he finally calmed down, feeling much more at ease. "I meant, why you decided to work with Rosalie at the shelter." He chuckled again, taking a drink and grabbing a napkin from the bottom of his take out bag to wipe off the ketchup from his shirt.

"Nah, it's fine. My mom asks me the same question all the time." He teased. "My brother and sister are the brainy ones...I just got the good looks." He winked, which, strangely, didn't freak me out. "The hospital already has three Doctor Cullens. I don't think they can handle another. Besides, I like working with Rose, and I like what I do." He shrugged easily and I nodded. "Alice and Edward come to the shelter about once a week, and our dad comes a lot too...they help out whenever they can, and it's cool that I get to work with my brother-in-law every day...he's been a good friend of mine for a while."

He told me a little more about Jasper, who he and his family had met through Rosalie, and about his daughter who he obviously loved, and before long, we were pulling into the parking lot for the shelter. As I thanked him and made my way inside, I couldn't help remembering his brother's name...Edward. His brother Edward who was also a doctor...what we're the odds that his brother and my Edward were the same person?

'My Edward...' I scoffed at myself as I lay down in my cot, not bothering to change into more comfortable clothes. Everything important to me; my money, my new phone, my medicine, and my ID had been in that purse. And when that man had pointed his gun at me, cold eyes assuring me that he wouldn't care to kill me, I'd acted on instinct, throwing the bag to him and huddling against the brick wall as he'd grabbed it and run. And then I'd fallen apart. I'd been planning for so long, I'd been so careful! Almost a year's worth of planning and pain and he'd taken it all away. Dropping to the ground, unaware of my surroundings, I'd tried to work through the shock, to be logical, but all I could think was, maybe I wasn't meant to get away. Maybe it would be better if I just died in some alleyway, alone and unimportant. Giving up was so much easier...the burden was lifted form my shoulders as I cried, giving in to the pain.

And then that man had asked me if I was okay, assuring me that he was a doctor...calling me Miss. If he was going to hurt me, he probably wouldn't have called me miss, and that was the only connection my brain had been capable of making. In a daze, I'd tried to explain to him that my entire life had just been even more ripped apart, but all I could manage was that the man had stolen my bag. The rest was a daze until I'd woken up in a stranger's bed in the middle of the night, and I'd fought my instinct to bolt. It was the first bed I'd slept in in a week, and it felt wonderful to be clean and comfortable, even if I was wearing a strange man's clothes. Getting up to use the bathroom as quickly as I could, wanting to get back to my bed, I'd realized that this was the only bathroom in the apartment and had unlocked the bedroom door, reasoning that if he was going to hurt me, he would have already.

As soon as he'd fed me and disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower, which he would probably have finished quickly and then tried to talk to me, I washed my plate and ran, but not before leaving a note saying thank you. He was kind. I could tell that from his eyes and his voice and his profession. He was the first kind man I'd met in so long, but I couldn't let him call the police and have them question me. I couldn't let word get back that I was here. So I'd run, and I'd hated myself for not properly thanking him.

A bag of clothes had been left under my bed when I'd returned from reading to Sam, and apparently it was protocol for the handful of women like me who'd come in without any personal belongings. Most women at least packed a bag before they left...I'd been in too much of a hurry unfortunately, something I was cursing myself for as I curled up under my newly cleaned blanket on my newly cleaned mattress. I didn't want to change back into pajamas. I didn't want to move. Not letting myself think any further than wondering what was being served for dinner, I closed my eyes and tried to shut off my chaotic brain, convincing myself that I could think about it later.

* * *

><p>There was someone in the room. Over the years, I'd gotten good at reading my environment before opening my eyes upon waking, and I knew that there was someone in my room. Rosalie had assured me that men were not allowed in the bedrooms, with the exceptions of doctors in the case of an emergency, so I tried to console myself with that. My visit to the doctor, my conversation with Emmett...my miscarriage...they all felt so long ago, in a fog that seemed to hover constantly over part of my brain, and every time I thought I was fully awake, I'd emerge a little more form the fog and realize that my short term memories didn't make too much sense. How had I managed to get pregnant? How long before I would need my medicine? How long could I stave off the attacks...how long before I would break even more?<p>

For a second, my mind wandered back to the man that had helped me, wondering if he was the same man that worked as a doctor with his father at the same place I'd been only a few hours ago. Still, I didn't open my eyes. There was still someone in the room, and I was fighting to make my brain work for me. Finally, I pretended to stir, letting the person know that I was waking. Each bed or group of beds was surrounded by a curtain that could be pulled aside, but it seemed to be an unwritten rule that you didn't invade the privacy of other women, which made me think it was someone who wasn't supposed to be there.

I supposed I wasn't all that surprised when I opened my eyes and found little Sam standing in front of my bed, a book clutched against his chest, his large worried eyes on me. "Hey." I murmured, shifting a little in bed and smiling at him. Children I could handle.

"Ms. Rosalie said you were sick."

"Yeah, I am." I told him quietly.

"Doctor Edward said that his daddy would take care of you."

I nodded, my pulse quickening just a little. "He did. I feel better but I'm still a little sick." I tried to explain. The child nodded solemnly. "But I feel well enough to read to you, if you'd like." I offered with a smile, scooting up against the pillow that I'd propped against the iron headboard. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but reading to Sam would take my mind off of everything. Without a word, he clamored up onto my bed and leaned against me, tucking himself under the covers and handing me a picture book about dinosaurs. "Does your mommy know where you are?" I asked before I started reading.

"Mommy's at work. She works at a food place. I was playing with Tim and Sarah and Lisa and James. Mr. Jasper was playing with us while the other lady was in the bathroom, so I snuck off." I flinched at the last name, then scolded myself for being ridiculous. It wasn't exactly an uncommon name.

"Don't you think you should have told Mr. Jasper where you were going?"

"I'm not supposed to be in here." He confided softly. "Not while you're asleep. Only sick kids or sleeping kids are supposed to be in here during the day. We have play rooms or we can go outside or we go to school."

"What about yesterday?" I wondered.

"We didn't know you were sick and besides I snuck away when no one was watching. I said I was going to the playground. There's lots of places to hide in the playground." He told me conspiratorially. I nodded, ruffling his hair.

I didn't want him to get into trouble, but I also knew that he seemed to be attached to me, and honestly it felt nice to have a kid like me. It was a simple, happy feeling, and it had been so long since I'd felt that way. "Will they know you're missing?" I asked.

"When Ms. Jo gets back she will." He admitted.

"Okay, here's what we'll do. You take your book and go to the book room. Where is it?"

"Down the hall from the doctor room...where the nurse is." I nodded, vaguely remembering where that was. "And I'll come read to you for a while. Okay?" He looked skeptical, and in a move that made me smile, he held out his little finger.

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." I promised, wrapping my little finger around his and crossing my chest with my other hand. Appeased and excited, he scurried off, carrying his book, and I sat up slowly, looking down with a bit of distaste at the old-lady floral t-shirt and the sweatpants. 'Beggars can't be choosers.' I reminded myself as I stood, making my way slowly to the end of the large room, and then down the hall.

It wasn't hard to find my way down the stairs and to the 'book room' which was actually a large library filled with paperbacks and a few shelves of reference books, two old computers, and an entire wall of books for kids. I spotted Sam in the corner and joined him, dropping gingerly onto the sofa and taking the book from him. He nearly bounced in place as I began to read to him about the little dinosaur and all of his friend, feeling a warm glow as I made somebody happy for once. He ended up leaning against my leg and staring up at the back of the book until I would turn it to show him the pictures, sometimes getting impatient and pulling the book down to look. It was in this position that his mother found us nearly two hours later, as she had just finished her shift and had gone in search of her little boy first thing. By that time, we'd read about the adventures of a kitten who didn't want to listen to his mommy cat, some fairytales, and even a nursery rhyme or two. Like many children, he loved rhymes and would say them with me if he knew them.

"I hope he hasn't been bothering you." I shook my head and smiled easily, the expression feeling strange on my face.

"Not at all." I assured her.

"Rosalie just went to check on you...you missed lunch but they're about to start cooking dinner. Do you feel up to joining us in the dining room. We have plenty of room at our table." For a moment, I had flashbacks to grade school, being the new kid in a sea of children, clutching tray and anxiously looking for a friendly face, then shook them away. I wasn't a child anymore. We were all grown women, and this wasn't a school. I didn't have to be worried about that...already, the women I'd met had all been kind and understanding. Sam reached up and was lifted into his mother's arms where he proceeded to tell her all about the books we'd read.

"You know, some of the women work here...you don't make much, but it's where I started before I felt comfortable going out. You'd be good with the children, especially if Jo gets that job at the nursery down the street."

Before I could answer, Rosalie appeared at the door, looking at me in surprise. "There you are. You're supposed to be in bed today."

"I thought I'd come and read for a while." I answered simply, bristling just a bit. I'd lived so long with people telling me what to do...this was my new life. I was a grown woman and I didn't answer to Rosalie, even if she was helping me out. Instantly I felt bad about being short with the woman, my emotions swinging back to guilt, but she only smiled.

"It is nice in here...most of the kids stay in the play room or TV room, or they play outside., so it stays pretty quiet." She smiled at Sam who waved at her from his mother's arms and ruffled his hair. "Sam here is starting kindergarten in January, did he tell you that?"

I grinned at the little boy who beamed back, but before I could say anything, he was off, telling us all about how he couldn't wait to color with the other kids and play games and make new friends and show his mommy all of his art projects, and then about how his mommy promised to take him to get ice cream if he took all of his medicine and that his throat had been hurting but it was better now. Rosalie took that opportunity to sneak off, probably back to the kitchen, and Sam's mother, who introduced herself as Deanne, or Dee, sat in the adjacent chair with her boy in her arms, shaking her head and smiling at me as I listened to him prattle on.


	4. These Are My Professions

**_Thank you all so much for reading and for your kind reviews! I know people want updates for Wrecked and Shield and I promise to work on them soon. Inspiration hits when it will, not when I ask it to. :)_**

_Edward_

It was her. Of course it was her. What had I honesty been expecting? Some random brown haired girl covered in bruises being lead by Rosalie through the hospital hallway to the examination room across from my father's office? Well...yeah. Actually, I had been...sort of. Maybe not...at this point, I didn't even know what I was expecting. In a way, it made sense that the girl would go to a shelter, and Rosalie's was the closest women's shelter in the area, but it still startled me when I saw her for the second time, no matter how I'd hoped it would be her. I'd gotten home long after midnight the night before, nearly crawling into my apartment after several hours of serving food and cleaning and handing out blankets and playing with children, glad that I'd thought to grab food at the shelter in the form of a peanut butter sandwich and a single serving bag of Doritos washed down with the last can of diet Pepsi.

I'd set my alarm for an ungodly hour, considering I didn't get to bed until three a.m., and I was rudely awakened at seven solely because I felt an irresistible urge to catch a glimpse of the girl that I'd helped...for reasons I didn't fully understand. Maybe I just wanted to make sure that the girl who I knew only as B that I'd had in my apartment for a night was okay...that she hadn't been hurt again or died of exposure alone in a strange town. I was a doctor after all...I did like to know that people that I'd helped were alive. But if I was being honest with myself, that wasn't all there was to it. Something had happened to me when I'd looked into B's huge brown eyes...when I'd seen the evidence of her pain on her throat and her shoulders. I needed to see her again. And if the girl that was staying at Rosalie's shelter wasn't my B, then I'd keep looking.

So I'd gotten up at seven in the morning after less than four hours of sleep, nearly fell asleep in front of the toilet and then again in the shower, and drank three cups of coffee on the way to the hospital only to hide out by my father's office, pretending to look over charts and ducking out of sight as soon as anyone I thought might recognize me came down the hall...which worked out great until my father had come out of his office. "Edward?" He'd called and I'd turned sheepishly, clutching one of my patient's charts with a smile.

"Oh...hi, Dad...Dr. Cullen." I'd grinned, making to open the chart and glance at its contents. "I just needed to check on one of my patients." My lie was thwarted, however, when another person appeared in the hallway.

"Dr. Cullen, have you seen...oh, there it is. Dr. Edward, I need that chart." One of the other residents came over and snatched the folder, giving me a strange look and muttering under his breath about stealing patients. I looked back over at my father with a slightly embarrassed smile to find him lifting an eyebrow and crossing his arms.  
>"So...I thought you were leaving for Montana today?"<p>

"Yes...but as I said yesterday, I'm checking on Marie today. You remember, the girl who had the miscarriage last night? Rosalie is bringing her by."

"Right...of course." I nodded thoughtfully. "What time is Rosalie bringing her by?"

"Probably within the next hour or so." He told me, finally cracking an amused smile.

"Okay, well I'd better..." He just stared at me, obviously waiting for whatever excuse I was going to make up, and I decided to quit while I was behind. "I just want to know if it's her." I admitted, and he nodded in understanding.

"You can wait in my office." He offered, touching my shoulder, then heading down the hall, which was how I found myself with my nose against my father's office door and peeking through the little window, watching her walk by. It was her. She looked worse, somehow, with Rose beside her, her skin surprisingly pale and her bruises dark by comparison. She'd had a miscarriage. The girl I'd found on the street had been pregnant. Somehow I felt like I should have known...like I should have been able tell and help her because I was a doctor. But I also knew, if I thought about it logically, that I had no way of knowing. I felt horrible, none the less, especially when Rosalie came into the office and sat across from me, informing me that the girl had collapsed while Carlisle was taking blood. "Is she okay?" I demanded, leaning forward in my chair, my hand clutching my hair in anxiety, and Rosalie regarded me silently for a moment.

"It's her, isn't it? Carlisle thought it must be if I found you still here but...it just seems like too much of a coincidence." I nodded, sighing deeply. "Carlisle thinks she might just have an aversion to blood. Her blood work is fine, apparently, and I have to get back. He put a rush on it so that she could get out of here, but she didn't eat anything this morning, and apparently she faints at the sight of blood. I have a meeting with one of the girls...I called Emmett to pick her up." I wanted to tell her that I could take Marie or B or whatever her name was back to the shelter, but I knew it was a bad idea. It would hardly help her feel secure if she thought I was following her, which I sort of was. "What are you going to do?" She wondered, standing and grabbing her purse, but still watching me.

"I don't know."

"You can't come to the shelter just to see her." She reminded me, her voice gentle. That, I did know. Men weren't allowed to visit the women or children at the shelter, and I had no idea when she would be leaving again. Sometimes women stayed in the building for weeks before they felt comfortable leaving, except to go to the doctor. Of course, I could see her while working at the shelter, but I was afraid to scare her. "We could use some help tonight and tomorrow...serving food." She offered. "Most of the women at least eat dinner at the shelter...why don't you come? Maybe you'll see her again." It was honesty my only real option if I didn't want to risk scaring her off.

She knew I was a doctor, so hopefully it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to learn that I worked at a shelter sometimes. I could check up on some of the kids as well and make sure that their sore throats were just a result of the cold weather. And if I was lucky, she would want to talk to me...to thank me in person...she seemed like the kind of person that would want to thank someone in person. At the very least, she could ask what I was doing there, which was more of a conversation than we'd had up until that point. 'And then what?' I asked myself. 'After you've explained to her why you work at the shelter and how happy you were to help her...then what?' It wasn't something I really wanted to think about. For some reason, I envisioned us as being friends...but if I was being honest with myself, that wasn't likely. She was probably afraid of men, which, judging from the bruises and the way she'd been afraid to call anyone, she had every right to be. She didn't have any idea who I was or why I would want to befriend her, and my motives weren't entirely pure. She was beautiful. I was drawn to her. I couldn't honestly tell myself that I would be satisfied with her friendship. And anything more was obviously out of the question.

'I'll pull her aside and ask her about the medicine...if I get the chance. If she seems to trust me. Maybe that way I can help her get what she needs...and she'll see that she can trust me. I'll start with that.' Nodding to myself, I pressed up against the door once more as Rosalie left, watching the empty hallway until, almost an hour later, my father appeared from the adjacent room, leading the still pale and uncomfortable looking girl that I'd pulled off the side of the street down the hallway toward the waiting room. I was sure she'd want to sleep as soon as she got back to the shelter; she looked even more exhausted than before. And I hoped that she would be comfortable with my brother. He would do everything he could to put her at ease, of course, but I couldn't help but think about how big he was...how easily he could hurt her. She would be alone in a car with a strange man. I didn't want her to be frightened...my heart broke at the thought of her huddled away from Emmett in the car, hand on the door as she tried to escape. And what if she needed her medicine immediately? Emmett was trained for many medical emergencies, but what if she had asthma or a epilepsy or some other condition that, without her medicine, may prove fatal?!

"You look ill." I jumped when my father spoke from the other side of the door, staring down at me through the window, and I stepped back to let him in with a mumbled apology. "I take it that was her...otherwise I'm not sure why you'd stay."

"It's her." I confirmed, dropping back into the chair across from his desk. "Her blood work?"

"Edward, I really shouldn't discuss a patient with you, especially one you aren't working with. But yes, her blood work came back clean."

"She needs some kind of medicine."

"Marie didn't bring anything up with me involving medicine...honestly she hardly spoke at all, except to thank me once." I nodded. That sounded like her.

"Those bruises are probably a week old...they were bad." He nodded once more. "She's been running from this person for a week."

"You shouldn't make assumptions about her situation. You may very well be right, but we don't know anything about this girl, other than the fact that she had a miscarriage and was most likely abused."

"And that she has some sort of medication." He nodded.

"Until Rose can get her name and a new form of identification, there's not really any way I can access her medical records, but we are both listed as physicians on call at the shelter, and they have our schedules. If anything happens to her, you will be the first one they'll call since I'll be on vacation in the event of a medical emergency." I was silent as he pulled a folder from one of his drawers and made a few notes on his charts. "Are you going to the shelter tonight?"

"Yes." There was no use pretending that I didn't know what he was taking about. My father knew me better than almost anyone. "I don't understand...but I want to." He looked up at me, lifting an eyebrow. "Her. B. Marie. Whatever her name is. I want to understand her." It was such a simple idea, but also an incredibly difficult one. There would be nothing truly simple about getting to know B. As thought sensing my discomfort, my father went back to his charts and spoke mildly.

"You've dealt with many women in this situation...although I've never seen you take such a personal interest. Still, it will help her to have a friend in this city, especially a male one...it will help her a great deal to know that there are men that can be trusted, and not just ones acting as medical professionals. You know to be careful." I nodded, glad he wasn't against the idea, or worse, scolding me for acting unprofessionally. B wasn't my patient. There was nothing saying that I couldn't try to become her friend. I had the night as well as the next day off, and I knew exactly what I was going to do with my free time.  
>I actually headed over to the shelter as soon as my father and I left the hospital, chatting about his vacation and the hours I was working. I would start back up again on Monday morning, work until Tuesday night, then a day off, an eight hour shift on Thursday, and another on Friday. Somehow I'd managed two weekends off in a row, but things hadn't been too busy lately at the hospital.<p>

Sometimes I thought about going into private practice somewhere smaller, or even getting a job full time at the shelter if Rose would let me. Becoming a family physician was also something I'd considered...anything with more regular hours and a less hectic environment. I loved my job, but working with the kids and women at the shelter was what I really enjoyed...working one on one with people, one at a time, and not racing around constantly from one life or death situation to another.

I pulled up outside the shelter and parked in the back lot reserved for volunteers and employees. Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and my mom all had their own reserved spaces, while my father and I parked wherever we could find a spot. In the fenced in play ground, covered in a dusting of snow, there were a few older kids on the swings and one was attempting to climb to the top of the jungle gym. Every once in a while, one of the women would peek out from the door and check on them, then go back to the young kids indoors. Just as I reached the back entrance to the kitchen, swiping my visitors pass that allowed me entry, I heard Emmett call out. He was walking around the side of the building and jogged to catch up with me, and I wave, letting him in, and we headed into the examination room which was empty at the moment. A few younger women sat in chairs in the living room as we passed, reading or watching TV, and we could hear the kids in the playroom.

"What's up, man? Rose told me about your girl." He grinned, making me roll my eyes.

"She's hardly my girl, Emmett."

"Whatever. You know her." I shrugged, then decided that he could be a source of information.

"How is she?" I wondered, hoping to convey with my tone that I was being serious. He sighed, crossing his arms and looking at me solemnly.

"She looked pretty bad at first...I thought I was going to have to call Dad when I got her in the car. But then she fell asleep. When she woke up, she was freaked out for a second, but then she seemed okay. Even talked to me for a bit. Asked why I wasn't a doctor." He chuckled softly. "I don't think she's used to talking to people. I think she headed right to bed...I just got her here a few minutes ago. Sam, Dee's kid, is practically in love with her. Kept asking me if she was okay and if he could go see her...I told him she was sick, so he left it alone I hope. Don't want him to go waking her up." He regarded me seriously for a minute. "That's why you're here, right? You wanna see her again?"

"I don't know, Em. I do...I want to see her again. Hopefully talk to her. But I don't want to scare her or make her uncomfortable."

"You know you can't be alone with her...not here. And you can't just come to visit her." I nodded. "Look man, it's my job to make sure that you really know that. Just 'cause you're my brother and a doctor..."

"I know, Em. I do. I'm not trying to break the rules or get around them. I'm going to see a couple of kids and then help out in the kitchen today...and probably tomorrow."  
>"And if you get her to agree to talk to her, and you don't mind doing it in the common rooms, with me or Jasper or Rose around, or outside of this building, then that's fine. Talk all you want. And that's all you want, right?" I grimaced, giving him a sheepish smile, and he exhaled loudly. "You like her." He stated, shaking his head as though I'd just admitted to stealing from the kitchen. "Edward, you cannot be serious."<br>"I wasn't going to do anything about it!" I hissed. "Besides, I barely know her...I don't even get it myself." He groaned, rubbing a hand through his hair. "I think Dad knows. Maybe Rose too."

"Just don't make me throw you out of here, bro, okay? I really don't want to have to do that. Keep anything other than talking out of this place, got it? And if she comes to me and tells me that you're making her uncomfortable, I will not hesitate to ban you from this place." Emmett was dead serious, and I nodded, just as serious as he was. I would never put my brother in that position, nor would I hurt the girl or make her uncomfortable. For some reason I was drawn to her, but if she wanted nothing to do with me, I would respect her enough to stay away.

The kitchen was by far the busiest area in the shelter. Some women who lived there and didn't mind being around the volunteers worked there every day, along with Rose, Emilie when she was around, Emmett or Jasper who would, during dinner, be relegate to dish duty, and the other volunteers who would show up. There were a few regulars, a few school groups that would come once a month, and one or two churches that sent people once a week and on holidays. Rose never turned away help, whether it was with sorting donations, preparing food, serving, or just cleaning up and helping with the dishes. I was usually relegated to serving and clean up, as most of what I cooked at home required only a microwave or a toaster, so I headed straight to the serving area, which was a long buffet with heating units or trays that could be filled with ice to keep the food at the proper temperature.

Lunch started at noon, with hot breakfast going from 6 a.m. to 9, and cereal and granola bars available until 11 , and since I'd gotten to the shelter at around twelve thirty, it was in full swing by the time I'd finished talking to Emmett and seen a couple of the kids who either didn't feel well or just wanted to wander to the examination room to say hi. Lunch ran until 2 p.m. and immediately following clean up, which I assisted with, the women who were helping with supper, a volunteer or to, and Jasper came in to start prepping. Rosalie helped mostly in the kitchen in the evenings when she could spare the time, and Emilie, who greeted me with a hug and a lengthy explanation of the book they had read to her and the other kids during story time, was usually sent to wash dishes to put in the industrial grade dish washer. About ten signs warned people not to put sharp objects in the dish water, and whoever Emilie or other younger people were working in the kitchen, sharp objects went directly to her father's sink as he worked alongside his little girl.  
>I didn't expect to see B in the kitchen, especially since Emmett had said she'd gone straight to bed, and Rose probably wouldn't let her work for a few days, but that didn't stop me from looking every time someone walked in. It got so bad that I was taken off of can opener duty, then off of fruit cutting duty, and finally just told to toss the salads which allowed me even more mental energy to both obsess over this girl and to worry at how much of my brain this girl had begun to occupy. I wondered if that would change as soon as I finally got to talk to her...once I realized that she was probably just a normal woman who'd had a hard life, but somehow, I doubted it.<p>

B wasn't a normal woman though...or maybe she was. What qualified a woman as normal, anyway? Regardless, B was different because I was drawn to her...her eyes, so bit and soulful that I'd nearly drowned in them. Her lips that curved up into a tiny smile when she was grateful to me for helping her. Her neck, graceful and slim under the bruises. And her shoulders...too frail, as though she never quite got enough to eat, but petite and lovely like the rest of her. But it wasn't just her body that drew me in. Of course, she'd needed me, which was always nice. I wasn't above the knight in shining armor complex, and she had certainly been in distress. It was more than that, though. She had suffered abuse at the hands of another person, and she'd gotten away. She was strong...she'd been forced to be. And she seemed gentle, like there was an innate kindness about her, although she was apparently painfully shy. Then again, I didn't know if that was because of her past or just her nature.

My mind wandered back to the miscarriage. Had she wanted the baby? Maybe that was why she left? Carlisle had said that he didn't know if she even knew she was pregnant, but what if she had? What if she'd found out that she was going to have a baby and had left to protect the child from her abuser? Where would that leave her now? Alone in a strange city, no child, no family, and no home. Were there relatives anywhere she could call? Maybe someone from another city or state? I'd help her. I would track down family members and make sure she got help.

When the salad was so tossed it was hard to differentiate one green leafy vegetable from another, I looked down and realized that I was getting ahead of myself. Maybe she hadn't known about her pregnancy. And who said that she would have wanted to keep the child? If the child belonged to her abuser, maybe she wouldn't want the reminder. Either way, all I could do was speculate, as the only solid information I knew about this woman was that she'd been hurt, mugged, and was alone in Seattle after suffering a miscarriage...not exactly enough to piece together her life story. I'd given up asking myself why I card so much by this point...I obviously did, and the feeling didn't seem to be going away.

Emilie stood beside me as we served, handing out packets of crackers for the salad. Really, we could have just put them beside the bowl, but she wanted to help, and her parents didn't want her burning herself on the hot plates or heating unit at the other end of the buffet table. The women all smiled at us and made sure to say thank you to the child, pointing out what a good job she was doing and how nice it was of her to help.

At 8:30, I'd gone through three large salad bowls and the room had nearly cleared out, as some of the women wanted to get their kids to bed, and most had to wake up early for work. The stragglers were usually the women that worked around the building, or who had later shifts, while two or three were new enough not to have found employment. Despite this, I'd nearly given up on seeing B, as there were only about six women left in the dining room, and no one had come in in the last twenty minutes. However, at 8:45, as the others began to prepare to close up the kitchen and start cleaning, there was a shadow in the doorway that I only caught because I'd staring, waiting against all hope that I would get to see her.

The woman peeked her head in, apparently surveying the room, although I had no idea what she could be looking for. Satisfied with whatever she found, she kept her eyes on the floor and made her way over to the buffet, not looking up at us as she grabbed a plate by the salad bowl. Behind me, I could almost feel Emmett and Rosalie watching me, wondering how I was going to handle this. 'I'm a doctor.' I told myself sharply as the girl looked at the salad leftovers for a moment, obviously making some sort of decision. 'I am a career professional with a medical degree. I saved her life. I am a successful man and I can say the word hello. Doctors can talk to people...I have a good bedside manner. Carlisle taught me, for heaven's sake, and he's the best!'

"I'm a doctor!" I blurted out as she reached for the tongs, and she looked as though she'd touched a live wire. Her body stiffened in shock, her hand freezing in midair and her hug eyes flying to meet my mortified ones. My mouth opened, and I would have given every cent I owned if I could just make my mouth work to give her an explanation for my bizarre, random statement, but apparently my mouth and brain had become disconnected, as, although my jaw seemed to be working just fine, for the life of me, I couldn't seem to form words. "Uh..." Well, that was sort of a word.

She swallowed, recognition flickering in her eyes before she pulled her hand away from the tongs, taking half a step back, then looking at the others who were all staring at me with a mix of confusion and disbelief. "I'm a first grader!" My niece proclaimed, apparently following my lead, and B looked down at her, apparently torn out of her trance, and nodded, a small smile on her lips for the child.

"Really? That's great. Do you like it?" She stammered, as if on auto pilot, and it seemed she had decided to just overlook the insane man trying to serve her lettuce.

Emilie nodded excitedly. "Mmhm! Today we learned how to do plusses but I already knew that 'cause gramma taught me but I don't know minuses yet and I'm scared I can't do them."

"Want to hear a secret?" B asked, leaning in with a little smile, and Emilie nodded emphatically. "I'm not very good at minuses either." Emilie's eyes went huge and she leaned in even more. "If you want, when you have to do some at home, you can bring them to me, and we can try and figure it out together. Okay?" Her eyes were so soft...I hadn't seen her smile like that yet, and it was the most incredible sight...I had an insane urge to take her photo with my phone and set that smile as my background.

"Okay!" My niece cried, then, as though Rose hadn't been six feet away for that entire conversation, she raced over to her mother and tugged on her shirt. "Mommy, mommy! Ms...ms..." She was suddenly at a loss, and I watched B slip past me, her face suddenly guarded again as she hurried past me, skipping the salad.

"Ms. Marie." Her mother informed her with a small smile for the girl as she took a piece of chicken and some fruit.

"Ms. Marie said she'd help me with my minuses! Do you think she can? Is it okay?"

"Of course it's fine, as long as she offered." B nodded, taking her tray with the minimal food and a bottle of water and hurried over to the far table in the corner, sitting in the corner chair and keeping her eyes on her food.

I could have sank through the floor with the sudden humiliation as I realized what exactly I'd just done. 'I'm a doctor.' I thought to myself mockingly. 'Right, just blurt that out first thing, like you didn't already tell her that when you met her! Not, it's good to see you again or I'm glad you found a place to stay. Not even, would you like some salad. Oh no! I'm a doctor was there obvious choice for starting a conversation in this situation. Of course. Moron!'

I turned with a sigh, then realized that things were about to get worse. Emmett was leaning against the door frame, his face purple, his lips pressed tightly together as though he were going to pop. Glaring at him, I shoved past him with the salad bowl, storming into the kitchen, but of course he followed me and lost control over his amusement. "I'm a doctor!?" He cried incredulously between guffaws. "You search for this woman all day yesterday, then follow her to the hospital, and all you can say to her is..."

"I get it!" I snapped, throwing the bowl into the dish water after I'd tossed out the limp pieces of lettuce at the bottom. "I'm an idiot. Can we move on?"

"Seriously man? What happened?"

"I was nervous, okay?!"

"Obviously." He muttered under his breath, wiping at his eyes. "I think you scared her."

"You think! She probably thinks I'm deranged now!" I groaned, dropping my head into my hands.

"Well, can't argue with you there." He told me cheerfully, not caring about my humiliation. "Man, where's Jasper? I gotta tell him..." His voice trailed off as he left, leaving me with a room full of volunteers and kitchen workers who stared at me uncertainly, and Rose who snorted every time she looked at me.

"I'm doctor." I snarled under my breath, shaking my head and feeling heat rush to my face, which only made my humiliation worse. "Of all the idiotic things to say..."

"There's always tomorrow." Rose reminded me with an unnaturally cheerful smile that almost matched her husband's. "You can tell her what kind of car you drive. Heck, by the end of the week, she might even get your name." I grabbed a sponge and lobbed it at her, making her screech as she was covered in dirty dishwater, and before she could get me back, or Jasper come come and try to get the full story from me, I hurried out of the room and into my examination room under the illusion of gathering my stuff to take home. Shutting the door behind me, I started to straighten up as well, and before I knew it, it had been almost an hour.

"That's your sign from the universe." I told myself sharply, realizing that I'd been subconsciously waiting for B. "Leave the poor girl alone. You probably scared her today, and it's not like you were able to form a coherent sentence anyway. And why would she come in here? To find me? To tell me that despite my idiocy, she'd love to get to know me, maybe over coffee? I rolled my eyes. Where did I get this crap? Did I think I was in one of Alice's stupid romance novels?

I grabbed my bag and then the doorknob, wrenching it open and started to turn out the light when I froze, almost slamming into the girl stepping into the doorway. Hand outstretched, obviously about to open the door, stood B, tears streaming from her eyes and running down her pale face. 'Crap..I really am in a stupid romance novel.' I thought, my mouth opening and closing uselessly once more. And then she wretched, and I just managed to steady her as she covered my t-shirt in vomit. 'Or not.'


	5. Brain Freeze

**_Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. Hope you like the chapter :)_**

_Edward_

My first response to being covered in someone else's vomit has always been disgust, no matter how many times it happened or by whom. The first time it had been my little sister's as I'd held her as a child...only about a year younger than me but still, I'd been so happy to be a big brother. Until she'd thrown up on me. And as a doctor, I'd learned that it happened all the time. I'd once seen a sick child throw up in Carlisle's face and he hadn't even flinched...only wiped it off quickly, and rubbed the little boy's back to calm him down. Of course, he'd had Emmett and me and Alice to deal with. Being a father probably helped.

Still, my first reaction when I steadied the young woman with my hand on her shoulder and glanced down to find my shirt and neck covered in half-digested food and bile, I felt the need to throw myself in a tub of boiling water and decontaminate myself. And then I looked into her eyes. Or tried to...they were closed in agony and fear as she flinched away from me, her sobs became more frantic and I realized that she was apologizing over and over.

Forcing myself to move, I quickly pulled her into the room, shushing her and assuring her that it was okay as I helped her lean against the wall. I yanked off my shirt, throwing it in the general direction of the hamper, and then wet a cloth and approached her carefully where she was sobbing against the wall. "Here, come sit down, B." I murmured, leading her over to the chair and she followed, she crying as she clutched her hands into fists, nails digging into her palms. "It's alright. Here...let me clean you up a bit, okay? I'm a doctor, remember?" I spoke with wry humor and was rewarded when one of the corners of her lips lifted just a little. Taking the cool cloth, I wiped her mouth and then her cheeks, smoothing the tears away as I kept one hand on her shoulder. Hurrying over to the cabinet, I grabbed a styrofoam cup and filled it with water to rinse her mouth out, and once she'd spit the water out and taken a drink out of another cup I handed her, I took a closer look.

She was in pain. It wasn't just nausea...she was practically rocking back and forth as she sobbed, not meeting my eyes as she tried to cope with the pain. "Sorry...I'm sorry..." She choked out, and I knelt in front of her, grabbing my penlight and putting a hand under her chin, gently tilting her face to look at me.

"Hey, shh. It's okay. Don't be sorry. Can you look at me?" She did, her eyes streaming with tears as she tried to stop moving and I shone the light in her pupils, nodding when she jerked away, crying out. I apologized softly, rubbing my fingers over the back of her hand. "Can you tell me where the pain is?" I asked, touching her arm. Something about this girl made contact with her skin irresistible, even if I knew I should be focused on her pain, not on my own desire for her. But I was able to help her, and that felt incredible.

"My head. Migraine." She whimpered, struggling to speak up. Standing, I hurried over to the wall and shut off the light. I still had enough light to see by from th window in the door, and I moved back to her side, my hands on her arms. Hoping that the darkness would at least dampen the pain a little, I rubbed my thumbs over her skin in what I hoped was a soothing manner.

"Okay, can you stand up for me? I'm just going to move you over to the bed." I spoke in a quiet voice, trying to ease her pain as much as I could at the moment. She put her hands on my arms, tiny fingers wrapping around my forearms and I helped her pull herself up, then helped her onto the bed, slipping a pillow under her head when she curled up into a tiny ball on her side. She was still sobbing, and I wet the cloth again to wipe away her tears. "Have you had migraines before?" I asked, pulling a thin cotton blanket up to cover her, tucking it around her shoulders as she tightened the ball, one hand against her temple. It was a struggle to treat her like any other patient instead of the woman I'd somehow developed something of a crush on and that I desperately wanted to get to know. But I was a doctor, as I kept saying, and she needed my help. Wow, that was a good feeling.

"Yeah. A lot. This one's bad." She murmured.

"Do you have any medication..." I trailed off, dropping a hand gently onto her shoulder. "Is that what the medication in your purse was for?"

"Mhm." She hummed in the affirmative and I squeezed her arm gently.

"Okay, have you tried taking ibuprofen or another over the counter medication?" I was sure she had, but I had to check.

"Doesn't help." She sobbed, her body tightening even further as she cried, her fingers fisting in her hair. As carefully as I could, I unfurled her fingers from her brown locks, smoothing them out and let her squeeze my hand. She seemed unaware that I was holding her hand and just continued to squeeze until my fingers turned white, but I wasn't about to complain. Instead, I reached over to the counter and grabbed the little walkie talkie that every employee had, and that remained in the examination room for emergencies.

"Rose, I need some help in the examination room. Over." I spoke quietly, feeling like an idiot for not grabbing her a cold compress earlier. And for saying the word 'over' like I was some secret agent. Emmett and Jasper had insisted when Rose had given them the walkies...made them feel more official or something. I just felt like a kid playing spies.

"On my way." She responded after a few seconds. Neither of us were really fans of the radios and only used them for quick communications. True to her word, she was there in a matter of seconds and opened the door quietly, not turning on the light as she slipped inside. Just as she took in the sight of me shirtless beside the girl on the bed, curled in a tiny ball and squeezing the life out of my hand, B wretched again, and we hurriedly put a little U-shaped bowl under her mouth to catch it this time. When she was done, B dropped back onto the pillow, tears constantly leaking from her eyes.

"Migraine." I explained quietly. "That's what the medicine was for. Can you wet a towel for me?" Rose looked down at our hands for a moment before nodding and taking the bowl over to the sink, returning with a washcloth soaked in cold water that I placed on B's forehead. She whimpered a little, apologizing again, and I shushed her, nodding a thank you to Rosalie who filled another bowl with cold water and placed it on a rolling table by my feet. "Look in the cabinet and see if we have any migraine medicine." I ordered quietly, hoping she wasn't offended. I wanted to help the girl I the bed as soon as possible. More than seemed rational, I hated her pain. I hate that she was crying and obviously frightened of me because she'd been sick, as if that were her fault.

Rosalie did as I asked and returned with some over the counter pain relievers that I hoped would at least the edge off. "I'm going to get her some ginger ale...we just ran out of nausea medicine." I thanked her again, gently coaxing B to take the medicine and ignoring her repeated apologies. "Edward..." I flinched a bit at the warning in her voice.

"I know, Rose." I muttered, and apparently satisfied, my sister-in-law left me with B who didn't seem to have noticed our little confrontation.

Once Rosalie had brought me the can of ginger ale, she left us alone, explaining that she had a ton of paperwork to do and that she would check on us in about an hour. Usually, women or children and men couldn't be alone in the examination room, but that was more of a policy than a hard rule. It wasn't like I was some random volunteer...I was a licensed physician and I had a perfect track record when it came to the shelter. "Hey, do you think you can sit up a little and take a drink? Ginger ale should help settle your stomach...I can get you some crackers too, if you'd like."

"I'm sorry." She sobbed, flinching away suddenly, and I sighed, opening the can.

"You can keep apologizing if you really want to, but I'm just going to keep telling you that you have nothing to apologize for."

"Your shirt." She whispered as I coaxed her to sit up a little and got her to take a few sips of the ginger ale while she kept her eyes tightly shut. Afterwards she went back to her ball and I dipped the washcloth into the water once more, wringing it out and then placing it back on her head.

"It was an ugly shirt." I lied. Honestly, with this girl holding my hand and staring up at me with those huge brown eyes swimming in tears, I could barely remember my own name, much less what kind of shirt I'd been wearing five minutes ago. "I promise, I'm not upset. It wasn't your fault. I get thrown up on almost every day. Heck, it's a good day when being covered in someone else's vomit is the worst thing that happens to me." I chuckled when she wrinkled her nose. "Is that helping at all?" She hummed again in the affirmative, but I wasn't sure if she was just trying to placate me.

Remembering something my mom used to do when I had headaches, I moved to the head of the bed and gently began to massage her scalp with my free hand, aware that I was going above and beyond as her doctor and not caring too much. She stiffened a bit when my fingers first touched her head, but then relaxed, moaning softly as my fingers began kneeling her scalp gently, the noise going straight through me and...down. I swallowed, scolding myself as I continued to massage her head, and after a while of that, combined with the cold compress and the pain medicine, she relaxed a little, her hand uncurling a little bit from my own, but it remained where it was. Every once in a while, Rosalie would peek in, opening the door just a little so as not to let too much light in, and would ask if we needed anything, each time seeming more and more incredulous to find me still there.

Finally, after the third time Rosalie had checked in on us, I gently pulled my hand away. "I'm going to go, okay?" I whispered, running my fingers quickly through her hair and pushing some out of her face. I needed to get home to bed if I was going to be here in time to help with breakfast...and check on B again. Someone about sitting by her head and soothing her pain felt so right...I was so perfectly content that I could have sat at her bedside all night, but I knew better. Rose would eventually shoo me off. I'd rather go before it came to that. "Do you need anything else?" I asked, gently wiping her face once more and then placing the cup of water within easy reach.

"He always got mad. Thank you." She whispered, taking me by surprise when I found her sleepy, content eyes on mine. Before I could really think of what to say to that, she was relaxing against the pillow, succumbing completely to sleep, and I brushed my fingers against her hair once more before taking a step back. This could be bad. This could be very bad. Before, I'd liked her from afar. I'd just been helping her, saving her from freezing to death or feeding her. Now I was sitting up with her and rubbing her head, giving her ginger ale and planning a trip to the drug store. I'd touched her, and I hadn't wanted to stop.

'Stop.' I told myself sharply. 'Stop it now!' But my fingers were still in her hair. Somehow they'd gone from moving it from her face to gently stroking in long, gently motions. They'd gone from clinical to loving. 'You have got to be kidding me. Loving?! What am I doing!?' I swallowed hard. 'Okay, I'm going to stroke her hair one more time and then I'm going to leave. One more...okay, just...it's just so soft. Oh, that strand is in her face. It might wake her up. I need to move that...oh her skin! It's so soft. Her cheek...no, I can't stroke them! I need to leave. Now.'

It took three more pep talks and the sound of footsteps in the hall to finally pull myself away just in time to come face to face with a suspicious Emmett. I shut the door softly behind me and gave him my best professional smile. "She had a severe migraine, but she finally fell asleep." I told him, trying to sidestep the massive security guard, but he clamped a hand over my shoulder.

"Why are you naked?"

I felt my entire face go red and I shoved him. "I'm not! She was sick and my shirt got dirty." I snapped, and he rolled his eyes, obviously not believing me. But I told him that I had to get home and warned him not to disturb her before racing out to my car and grabbing my cellphone out of my pocket, dialing the only number I could think of.

"Edward, it's almost one in the morning, and unlike some people, I have to be at work in four hours!" My sister's tone bordered on murderous, and I heard Jasper mumbling in the background, but I had to talk to someone.

"I stroked her hair!" I cried, wondering what it was about this girl that screwed up my verbal filter.

"What?"

"I told her I was a doctor and then I stroked her hair and now I'm screwed!"

* * *

><p>It took my almost an hour, which I spent the entirety of in my car outside of the shelter to explain everything to my sister, but by the time I was done she was wide awake and I was utterly wrung out. "Wow." My sister muttered, ignoring Jasper's repeats requests for her to take the conversation outside of their bedroom. She told him to stop being such a baby and returned her attention to me. "Edward...are you falling in love with this girl?"<p>

"Alice, I barely know this girl!"

"But you care about her...a lot more than you've ever cared about a girl before. Right?" I hummed, not really wanting to admit it out loud. I'd only been in one relationship in my life. Tanya still wouldn't speak to anyone with the last name 'Cullen.' I personally felt like she'd overreacted...people and birthdays every year. Breaking up with her on that day hadn't exactly been intentional. How was I to know that we were on our way to her surprise party? None of her friends had ever told me anything. "Edward, you know you have to be careful, right? I mean...who knows how long it's going to be until she's okay around men?"

"She's seemed okay around me." I defended half heartedly.

"She fled your house while you were in the shower and then threw up on you."

"That wasn't her fault!" I snapped. Alice giggled.

"Sorry...I know. But she might have just been comfortable with you tonight because you were acting as a doctor. If you're just a man, some stranger that takes an interest in her...who knows?" There was silence for a moment. "But you're going to do this anyway." She suddenly told me, her voice confident.

"What?"

"Edward, you care about her. You're taking a genuine interest in another person, and she sounds nice. That's not a bad thing. You just have to be careful with her."

"Alice, how exactly am I supposed to 'do this?' She's staying at a homeless shelter where I'm the doctor, and she's barely spoken to me, apart from apologizing and thanking me."

"We'll you're going tomorrow, right? Just check up on her. See if she's okay. Serve food at the shelter. Just be there...get her used to you. Be nice. It shouldn't be hard...you're a nice person, Edward."

I wanted to ask how exactly that would get me a date with her, but just the thought made me feel like scum. I'd met the girl all of twice and I was already wanting to ask her out...at the homeless shelter where she lived, covered in what I assumed was evidence of the last relationship she'd been in...not three days after she'd had a miscarriage. Scum. I was scum.

It took a minute to realize that Alice had hung up on me, and I realized she must have decided to go back to sleep. It was certainly a good possibility. But instead of going home, despite my exhaustion, I drove to the 24 hour drugstore on the corner and headed straight for the pain relievers to stock the shelter...after fishing out an old shirt from the laundry pile in my back tat. Rose would reimburse me later, so I grabbed two bottles of anything I thought might help with headaches and migraines, and some new anti-nausea medicine, at the last minute, grabbing some sore throat pops for the kids.

Not allowing myself to think about how unnecessary it was to buy every single kind of headache medicine at the store, I quickly checked out, nodding at the tired young man behind the counter and hurried home to collapse in my bed. Not surprisingly, my dreams were filled with visions of a woman with beautiful brown eyes.


	6. What's In A Name

**_Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)_**

_Bella_

I'd gotten the first one when I was in third grade...so at about nine years old. They say migraines are hereditary sometimes, or can be caused by stress or hormones or food or sunlight...pretty much everything. I think they just don't want to admit that they don't really know. The first one had been one of the worst. I'd been sitting in class, trying to do my work, when little spots had appeared in my vision, just for a second. I'd thought I was seeing a bug or something and had brushed at my worksheet, and they had disappeared. But there was something wrong with my eyes, and things had gone blurry for a second.

Feeling frightened, I'd raised my hand and had been told in no uncertain terms that I could not go to the bathroom. I'd shaken my head and kept my hand up, causing the teacher to come over in the middle of our silent busy-work. "There's something wrong with my eyes." I'd explained. Over the years, I'd learned pretty quickly that the vision changes were my cue to take my mess and lay down for a while if I wanted to avoid a lot of the pain, but back then, the teacher had simply told me to rest my head for a minute and then keep working.

And then the pain had started, dull and throbbing at first, but quickly escalating into unbearable, and I'd begun to sob in the middle of class, clutching my head and rocking back and forth, screaming when the teacher tried to touch me, terror and pain warring inside of me...emotions too strong for a nine year old. They'd called 911 and my father had showed up at the hospital, terrified. He hated hospitals and doctors, especially after my mom, and hand nearly had a heart attack at the sight of me in that hospital bed, my eyes red and puffy.

It had taken years to finally get the right medicine to help them, and for me to learn to identify them. Some weeks, they'd happen almost every day, especially when I was stressed, and I would lay in a ball in my room and cry. Sometimes my dad would sit by my bed and run his fingers through his hair, trying to soothe me...just like Edward had. The week that my father had died, a few days before my sixteenth birthday, I'd stopped taken any kind of medicine and had fallen into a terrible numb state...except for the pain in my head. That one had lasted for days until the foster family had showed up to take me in.

Before I'd left James, part of my plan had involved stocking up. Picking up medicine would be impossible until I'd somehow left him behind...I hadn't thought that far ahead really. I'd just signed up to get a three month supply and had done my best to avoid any kind of triggers for migraines. As I'd gotten older, they'd become less frequent...which was a good thing. James hated them. He accused me of faking it most of the time to get out of whatever it was he wanted me to do.

Edward had barely flinched. Of course, he'd seemed surprised to see me there, outside of the room that I'd hoped he would be in. After the strange encounter in the food line where'd he'd been adorably flustered (I rolled my eyes at myself for picking that particular description) I'd scurried away to sit by myself at the far table, concentrating on the food and planning for the next day. I couldn't just stay at the shelter and hide forever, and Dee had mentioned getting a job with the kids at the shelter, and it sounded like a step in the right direction. Job, money, apartment, independence...hit man. Okay, I was kidding about that last part, as nice as it sounded. But I didn't know what I was going to do about James. If I'd learned anything in the last four years with that man, it was that he didn't give up. Ever.

So my plans beyond getting a job at the shelter weren't exactly well defined, but I'd been making them nonetheless as I'd eaten my meager supper. I'd really wanted a salad...but the man serving it was the same man that had pulled me off the street and, more than likely, saved my life. And then, as if I hadn't already known, he'd blurted out that he was a doctor...I'd seen the white coat. I already knew that he was a doctor. Doctor Edward Cullen apparently, Emmett Cullen's brother. Dr. Carlisle Cullen's younger son.

And then he'd just stare at me, mouth opening and closing like a fish, until I'd been distracted by the little girl beside him, and then I'd fled with my food. Minus my salad. And he'd left as well. All had been well until I'd finished the last of my water and the spots had appeared. And I didn't have any medicine. Because some guy had stolen my purse, which had contained my entire life. And I'd had a knot of dread in my stomach as I'd stood, because in my experience, the spots always came before the really bad ones. So, since the self proclaimed doctor apparently served food here, I could only hope that he'd be in the room by the nurse's office where he and his father saw patients at the shelter.

As I'd walked down the corridor, the pain had hit me all at once, and I'd actually doubled over outside of the room, clutching my head and leaning against the wall, all rational thought replaced by pain. Throbbing, intense _pain _that left me incapable of focusing on anything else. Finally, I'd managed to get to the door and knock...and then I'd thrown up on him. Instantly, I was reminded of the last time I'd thrown up on a man, and the pain that had followed...the day that I'd begun making my plans.

But Edward had been nothing like James. After the initial shock, he'd chucked his shirt and helped me to sit down, speaking quietly as he'd tried to make me as comfortable as possible. It was obvious that he was an excellent doctor with a soothing bedside manner, and I'd tried to relax as he'd placed a cold, wet towel on my head and had spoken quietly to someone else. The pain meds had helped a little, as had the ginger ale that someone, possibly Rosalie, had brought me. And then he'd begun to massage my head.

I'd known from the morning after he'd saved me that Edward Cullen was attractive, but attractive was too often a front for something else. Id also known from the moment we'd met that he was kind, and this what caused me to relax as his fingers ran through my hair, gently kneading my scalp and soothing the pain there. He'd been quiet for most of the time, sometimes humming under his breath. Sometimes he would squeeze my hand, just a little check to make sure everything was okay, and I wondered if he was even conscious of his actions. I'd felt a little guilty when he'd first taken my hand and I'd squeezed it to take my mind off the pain, but he hadn't even reacted, assuring me again and again that it was okay when I'd only been half aware that I'd been apologizing.

But I was sorry. I was sorry that I'd ruined his shirt and that I'd imposed on his life and that I was such a ridiculous mess...and that I'd dreamed about him once, and there'd been nothing innocent about the way he'd touched me in my dreams. I'd practically molested the poor guy in my thoughts, and all of this from a woman whose life was in shambles around her...who'd just lost another man's child. That thought made me sick again, and as I sat in the examination room, I placed a hand over my mouth, clenching my teeth together. I hated throwing up.

His actions before he'd left gave me just a touch of hope, however. He'd stood at my side, apparently under the impression that I was asleep, and had begun to talk to himself under his breath. I'd only caught a few words, but it almost sounded like he was arguing with himself. He seemed to have some difficulty keeping his thoughts silent. But through it all, his hands had been running through my hair, finally putting me to sleep before I'd even heard the door close behind him.

I'd woken alone in the examination room as the light had filtered in, and found myself alone with Rosalie who was regarding me quietly. "How are you feeling?" She asked, sitting in the chair beside my bed.

"Better...sorry about last night."

"It's not your fault." She assured me, as if on autopilot. "Do you take medication for your migraines?" I nodded, not offering any more information. I didn't want to have to explain why I couldn't get my medicine. It was pathetic and ridiculous, and after the last four days, I was sick of looking pathetic and ridiculous.

"Dee said that you might need someone to watch the children during the day?" I spoke tentatively, hoping that she wouldn't immediately shoot me down. She didn't. Instead, she regarded me for a moment, then smiled.

"Actually, yes. I do. My girl who watched them in the mornings on weekdays just got a job at the nursery."

"How do they have a nursery in this city?" I grumbled, mostly under my breath, and Rose laughed.

"Greenhouses, I'm guessing. She wants to be a florist, but this was the closest she could get at the moment. Anyway, it's in two shifts. Morning is six until two and another woman watches them from two until the last mother gets back from work, so around nine. You'd watch them in the mornings, make sure they get breakfast and lunch, plus a snack, and make sure the ones under ten are supervised at all times. The older kids can wander around the rooms a bit, and you can take them out in groups, or outside if it's nice and they want to. Emmett and Jasper help with the kids a lot."

She noticed my hesitation and crossed her arms, meeting my gaze solemnly. "Emmett is my husband. I understand your fears...for a long time, I shared most of them." Her eyes grew sad. "But Emmett would literally rather take a bullet than allow anyone to hurt you or any of the children in any way. You'd be watching Emilie some days anyway, and he spoils her like you wouldn't believe." I had to smile with her, her eyes were so soft. "And I grew up with Jasper. He was like a brother to me my whole life, and when he met Alice and they got engaged, we became even closer. He loves the kids and works every day he's here to protect the women. So you'd be working closely with both of them. Is that something you think you can do?"

I didn't let myself think about it. I just nodded. I needed the job. They could play with the kids all they wanted and I'd keep as much of a distance as I could. Emmett seemed nice enough, but Jasper, with his blond hair and blue eyes, reminded me too much of James. Of course, Carlisle had similar features, but Jasper was built like my ex boyfriend, with a lean, dangerous look about him and a charming smile. I'd never heard him really speak, but I imagined that they'd sound alike too...smoothe and refined and cold.

"Good." Rosalie nodded decisively and stood. "You'll start Monday, and work through Thursday...we have different shifts on Fridays and weekends, so you get those days off. I pay minimum wage to everyone who lives and works here...it's all I can afford. You'll get a check the first time, but we need to set you up a bank account." She touched my arm gently when I felt the blood drain from my face, my hands immediately shaking.

"That look on your face, that fear you're feeling...that is exactly why Emmett and Jasper and a whole host of other large, intimidating men and women work here. You don't have to leave here alone if you don't want to, okay? One of us always accompany the women who need to leave until you feel comfortable. And you will. Okay? Things get better. You'll be able to move on. And when you're ready, we have lawyers who get their pro bono work and boost their reputations by helping the women here. We can look into getting you a restraining order, and if that monster that hurt you breaks it, we'll have him thrown in jail before he can say hello? Okay?" I nodded, swallowing hard. "You have two weeks to work up to it. And then I'm going to need some more information if you want a job here. Like you're name. Maybe a birthdate." She ws smiling a little and I forced myself to smile a little. She was right. If I was going to get a job, I had to have an ID and give my real name and a whole lot of other things that could lead him right to me. But I also had some scary looking guys around that were paid to protect me, so that made me feel a little better.

'Job. Money. Apartment...maybe even a house. I can go back to school...live a real life. A life worth living without him standing over me. I can do this.'

I managed to make it just in time for breakfast. I'd stayed in my own little cubicle room, leaving the examination room with Rosalie, and had worked for the better part of an hour or two to work up to leaving again. I didn't know if Edward would be there, nor did I know why I was thinking of him when I had so many other things to think about. Still, as I waited in the short line for pancakes that I didn't think I could choke down, I spotted him, staring straight ahead at a woman who was speaking quietly with him as he handed her a small container of syrup. And abruptly, I was filled with humiliation. I'd thrown up on him. I'd literally puked all over the man that had saved my life. No amount of apologizing could really make up for that, right? And then I'd cried for hours as he'd tried to help me. Again.

I didn't want pancakes for breakfast. I never ate pancakes for breakfast, only dinner when my dad had wanted to make the only food he knew how for our dinners together. I only ever ate cereal for breakfast, but in order to get to the cereal and the milk, I had to pass Dr. Edward Cullen who was, if the feeling I had and the hairs standing up on end were anything to go by, looking right at me. 'Don't look up. Don't look up. Don't...'

"Good morning." His deep voice interrupted my mantra and, of course, I looked up.

"Morning,". I squeaked, embarrassing myself once more. He smiled a bit, his eyes softening, and he gestured to the pancakes in the hot tray beside him.

"Pancake?"

"I don't eat them in the morning." I blurted, finding that whatever condition he'd been suffering from last night was apparently contagious. Flushing a deep red, I tried to get to the cereal, but the women in front of me was taking her time with the fruit bowls, choosing just the right one. "Sorry." I mumbled, going back to what I knew. Apologies kept the anger at bay sometimes.

"You don't have to apologize." He chuckled as the woman finally picked a fruit bowl. "Would you mind coming to see me in the examination room after you eat? I was hoping to speak with you."

Mentally, I shouted a couple of words that I hadn't learned until I met James, but aloud, I agreed and hurried to get my cereal, wondering why I was so nervous to speak alone with the doctor who'd only tried to help me and give me pancakes. "Because he's too good to be true, that's why." I muttered under my breath, then forced a big smile for little Sam who was sitting with a group of other kids and who anxiously gestured for me to join them. Obliging, I tried to put Dr. Edward Cullen out of my mind, which worked about as well as expected.

I stood outside of the examination room for a full ten minutes at least. I could hear him moving around inside, but I had no idea what he was doing, as I refused to go near the little window in the door and chance him spotting me. Yes, I was fully aware that I was being ridiculous, and I also knew that Edward was a doctor and he'd asked to see me and all I had to do was leave the room if I was uncomfortable. Rose had asked me if I wished for her to accompany me to see Edward and I'd I assured her that I would be fine, and a huge part of that was, admittedly, my pride. Another part was my curiosity. Edward Cullen was somewhat...intriguing. He seemed like a nice man, and he'd been incredibly kind when I was sick, so I had no reason to think that he would harm me.

No, I was more embarrassed than anything. I'd thought about him more than was appropriate and I'd dreamed about him and now I was going to see him in his office with expectations, however unconscious they were, about this man and how I felt about him. So it took some time to work my way up to actually knocking on the door...so quietly that I could barely hear my knuckles touch the wood. Taking a deep breath, I knocked again, this time putting a little more strength behind it, and the door opened slowly, revealing the man himself with a gentle smile on his face. "Hello, come on in." He invited, stepping back and leaving the door wide open for me. I did, and he pushed the door so it stood ajar.

Gesturing for me to sit, he leaned up against the counter, a notebook in his hands, and I hesitantly sat across from him, my ankles crossed and tucked under my chair. "I was hoping to check up on you after last night...are you still experiencing any pain?" I shook my head, trying to gather the words I wanted to use in my head. I wanted to apologize, and to thank him, but I'd already done both so much that I feared they would lose their meaning. "How often do you get these headache?" He wondered, his face filled with genuine concern.

"Um...sometimes once a month...more when I'm stressed." He nodded.

"And the medicine you take?"

I named the drug my doctor back home had prescribed and went on to tell him, "I had a three months supply. I'd only taken one when the guy took my bag. Usually I could take one when I felt the headaches coming on, or at the very start, and they wouldn't last for more than a ten minutes...sometimes it would almost stop them altogether if I could lie down."

"I would be more than happy to have your medical records transferred, B. We could report what happened and see about getting you a refill...Rose deals with this kind of thing almost every day. So do my father and I." I shook my head, clasping my hands together in my lap and closing my eyes tightly. I knew I would have to do it soon...in two weeks to be exact. But the thought of doing it now...of letting my past catch up with me, of chancing him finding me...I felt my stomach clench in anxiety and for a horrific moment, I thought I was going to puke on him again, but suddenly he was closer, a hand on my back and something in front of my face...a little metal dish. "It's okay, B. Breathe, okay? You're safe here. Our job is to make sure no one else hurts you, and we are good at our jobs. All of us."

I managed a little nod as I took deep breaths, scolding myself for acting so childishly and avoiding what I knew I had to do. Soon. "The pain medicine seemed to help a little, and we restocked our cabinets, so just tell myself, if I am here, or the nurse on duty if you feel another migraine coming on, and we'll get you something for it. It won't work as well as your medicine thought."

He was quiet for a minute, and he took a step back to lean against the cabinet once more. For some reason, despite my desire to leave he room and curl up in my bed under the covers, my mouth began to move and my voice decided to start working once more. "I'll have to tell Rosalie...my name and everything. She's letting me work here, and she has to have my information to pay me." He was silent, and I swallowed hard, wondering if he was hoping I would just leave and stop bothering him.

"What are you so frightened of?" He asked gently, breaking me out of my thoughts and crouching so that he was eye level with me, even if he was still a few feet away.

"Who." I corrected. "Not want, who."

"Whoever it is, they can't get you here." He assured me softly. "I'm not saying that whoever it is that hurt you won't come looking for you...I'm telling you that Rosalie goes out of her way to make sure every woman is safe here. So do our security guards, especially Emmett and Jasper."

"That's what Rosalie said. She said they'd protect me."

"And they will." He took a deep breath and moved a little closer. "B, I don't know what your life was like before, but I'm assuming you came here to start over." I felt myself nodding, my eyes getting wet against my will. "You can't move on if you're still living in fear. Let us help you. It's why we all work here...it's why I devote my precious few days off to this place." I gave a little smile in response to his own. "We want the women who come here to be free again...we want to give you your life, but we can only help you if you let us."

I knew that, of course. But to hear him actually say it...to hear this man promising to protect me...somehow that made it seem possible. It made it seem possible that I might one day live without being afraid of James finding me, of dragging me back to that hell hole. That I might live a normal life and go to college like I so badly wanted to. That I could have my own home, a safe place to live. That sounded like heaven. "Edward?"

He met my eyes with a soft smile. "Yes?"

"If I tell you my name...to get my medicine and...I mean...do you have to tell Rose immediately even? She told me I had the two weeks and I know you're right and I..."

He reached out, touching my hand with the lightest pressure of his fingertips. "No. I'll explain the situation to Rosalie and I'm sure she'll be understanding. Anything you tell me in this office will stay between us, perhaps Carlisle, and whoever I have to call to get your medicine, okay?" I nodded, swallowing hard.

I'd never really planned on using a fake name, or rather, my middle name, but when I'd ditched the junker that Jacob had given me to get out and started taking the bus or hitchhiking, I'd started going by Marie, just as a precaution. It had just happened, and I'd felt safer, like I was putting distance between myself and James. But I'd known that couldn't go on forever, and eventually I would have to give out my real name. And somehow, telling Edward, who I'd already giving my first initial, seemed less scary that filling out official paperwork that James could use to get to me. "Isabella Swan." I told him softy. "Bella. My name is Bella."


	7. Digging For Clues

**_Thank you all so much for reading/reviewing. I apologize for the delay. As most of you know, my old computer crashed, making it hard to work on my older works, and I arrived back in the US and have been dealing with life here and jet lag. Lots of jet lag. And in writing my original fiction. So thank you all for your patience :)_**

_Edward_

Bella. B. My Bella. All sounded equally appealing. A beautiful name for the beautiful woman sitting across from me, her hands folded in her lap as she stared at the floor of the exam room. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone and opened my note taking app, typing in her name. Gently, I asked for her social security number, which she gave me after a second of hesitation, and then a few more things that would help me get her medical file. I learned that she was from Arizona, and that she was only 23. And that both of her parents were dead.

After learning that, I didn't ask her anything else about her family or her past. That was for her to reveal whenever she chose. I had enough information to get her the medicine she needed, and to access her medical records. "I'll go to the hospital tomorrow and access your medical history. I should be able to get the medicine to you by Monday." She nodded, biting her lip, and I reached out for her hand. Carefully touching the back of her hand with just my fingertips, I smiled when she didn't pull away. "We'll keep you safe...that's why we're all here. Emmett, Jasper, Rose...they're all here to keep you safe. No one can get to you here." She finally looked up at me, her eyes frighteningly dull as they met mine, and she shook her head with a sad smile.

"You can't promise that." She argued softly, and her teeth bit into her lip when my fingers closed around her hand. She didn't pull away though, and I decided to count that as a small victory.

"I won't let anyone hurt you. None of us will. We will do everything in our power to make sure you're safe, as long as you allow us to help you." Bella nodded, swallowing hard, and I could tell she was trying not to cry. I wanted to comfort her...to pull her into my arms and hold her and promise that everything was going to be okay. I wanted to get to know her and maybe even take her to dinner. I'd never felt a pull like this toward a woman. I'd never cared so much about a woman who wasn't in my family. "Are you settling in okay?" I settled for asking, sitting back a little to give her space.

"Yeah." She murmured, trying her best to smile, and I leaned back, crossing my legs at the ankle. "Rose said she'd let me watch the kids." I could see that...she'd done so well with Emilie, and apparently little Sam liked her as well. She was kind. I could tell...she was kind and gentle and she didn't deserve what had been done to her. She didn't deserve to be treated cruelly or to be hurt...she didn't deserve to have lost her baby in such a way. Maybe she wouldn't have wanted the child, or maybe she would have been thrilled. Either way, being on the run, enduring the trauma that she had to escape from whatever she was running from, then being mugged...more than before, I wanted to hold her.

"Do you like children?" I asked, already knowing the answer. I wasn't disappointed. She smiled, her eyes lighting up just a little.

"Yeah. I wanted to be a teacher...preschool and kindergarten. Maybe even daycare."

"I think you'd be excellent at it. Maybe Rosalie can see about getting you into school. Did…" I paused, hoping I wasn't about to offend her. "Did you finish high school."

Her eyes grew sad as she nodded. "I didn't get to go to college though." She told me simply, her arms crossed, and I left it at that, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. However, she didn't wait for me to ask. She continued on her own, looking up at me. "After my dad...died...I stayed with a foster family. I didn't have any money, not until I turned 21, and I didn't know how to get to any of the money for college. My dad was a police officer, but he didn't make much."

"Your foster parents?" I wondered gently. Certainly they could have helped her get he money when she needed it, maybe set her up with housing on campus. She shrugged uncomfortably.

"They wanted me out when I turned eighteen, right after I graduated high school."

"Where did you go?" I tried to keep my voice kind and understanding when all I really wanted to do was find her foster family and ask them a few questions. Impolite questions. Questions that might get me fired, or at least officially reprimanded.

"I was...I met this guy. In high school. We were...friends. Kind of. Both foster kids...we needed a place to stay. We both had jobs...I mean, I don't know exactly what he did, but he made more money than me." Her voice was slightly bitter, and I had a feeling that he'd held this over her. "We shared an apartment for four years...I had access to my money when I turned 21, but he took a lot of it."

I nodded, physically restraining myself from making a comment. It wouldn't help her to hear how I hated whatever man it was that had hurt her and taken advantage of her, or how I wanted to hunt down those people who'd agreed to take her in and then, from the sound of it, had thrown her out as soon as they'd stopped receiving money to care for her. And more than anything, I wanted to find the person who'd left those marks on her neck that stood out in stark contrast against the pale skin of her neck and upper arms. "Where did you work?" I wondered, hoping to move to a somewhat lighter topic. Her smile lit up her face once more, and she leaned forward a bit.

"I worked at a daycare...I started there when I was sixteen, and I stayed until...until I left. I quit a week before...but I didn't tell Ja...him."

"You got away. You did what many women are never able to do." I reminded her softly. "I have to ask...what are you going to do about your purse?" She closed her eyes, her hands clenched once more in her lap. "You could still report it as stolen."

"The money's gone by now." She told me simply.

"And your ID? Any other important documents?" She shrugged, obviously not wanting to think about it. I didn't blame her. She had so many things she had to deal with. Identity theft and a mugging were, for good reason, probably not at the top of her list. I'll take you to the police station...if you'd like. I'll stay with you while you tell them what happened." At that, her eyes began to water, and I watched sadly as her eyes ran, tears dripping down her cheeks. "Hey…" I murmured, reaching out and taking her hand once more. "It's okay."

"I can't." She argued, shaking her head. "No...I'm not going to the police."

"Okay." I held back a sigh. "It's okay, B." I tried to comfort her, moving just a little closer to squeeze her hands. "You don't have to. Rose will help you get new documents and a new ID. We'll see if we can get some of your money back, or access your accounts. Rose will take care of it, okay?" She nodded, her eyes clenched shut, and I finally moved to her side, rolling my chair to sit by her, and I lifted a hesitant arm around her shoulders.

For a long moment, she went completely stiff under my arm, and I worried that I'd pushed too hard. But then, moving in tiny, frightened increments, she leaned into my side, her head resting against my shoulder. I squeezed her, rubbing my fingers against the back of her shoulder as she cried silently. "You don't have to worry about any of that now." I promised, shifting so that I could rub her back. In the midst of all this, I still managed to notice how fantastic her hair smelled pressed against my nose, and I would have scolded myself for such a trivial, selfish thought had I not been so focused on calming her down. "I'm going to get your medicine as soon as I can, and I'll bring it to you, okay? We'll do the best we can to get you everything you need."

After she headed out of the room to…well, do whatever it was she did throughout the day, I phoned my father, despite knowing that he was on vacation and likely wouldn't pick up…or even have cell service. Luck was with me, however, as he picked up on the fourth ring, right before it went to voicemail. "What, Edward?" He asked, sounding exasperated, and I grinned.

"Hey, Dad. How have you been?"

"Edward." His voice was leaning more toward aggravated, and I had to bite back a laugh. He hadn't gone on a proper vacation in years.

"How's Colorado? What have you and Mom been up to? Say hello for me, will you?"

"What do you want, Edward?" He groaned, and I finally let the chuckle escape.

"I need to ask you something."

"Yes, I figured as much…with you calling me, and all."

"Sorry. I talked to B." I told him, reminding myself to use just her initial. She wanted to keep her identity a secret for a moment, so I would do my best to honor that.

"Yes?"

"I mean…I got her to talk to me…she asked me to access her medical file." Sort of. "And to get her medicine."

"And her purse?" He asked, sounding more interested now.

"She refused to go to the police. She freaked out when I suggested it. She's still so afraid."

"It's only been a few days." He reminded me gently.

"I know." I sighed softly, leaning back against the examination table. I'd shut the door behind Bella, fighting the urge to watch her go and maybe even follow her…just to talk to her a little more. As she'd been leaving, she'd reached out, touching my arm so gently.

"Thank you, Edward. For everything." She'd almost whispered, looking up at me with shining eyes and a sweet, gentle smile, and I'd never wanted to wrap my arms around anymore more than I did in that moment. But I'd held back. I'd known that holding her, that putting my arms around her and comforting her, would only scare her at the moment. So I'd wait.

"Are you going to the hospital?"

"Yes. I wanted to get her medicine as quickly as possible. She has migraines. Bad ones. I'm not sure how often she gets them, but she told me that the medicine helped…she had one last night though. It was awful…" I heard his soft sigh on the other line. "What if he manages to find her?"

"Emmett and Jasper are employed by Rose for situations just as that, Edward." My father reminded me.

"Rose offered her a job with the kids."

"Good. She'll be earning money, and Jasper and Emmett will be nearby…hopefully she'll learn to trust them. She can't hide out forever, Edward."

"I know." I murmured, closing my eyes. I hadn't exactly gotten much sleep the night before, and i was exhausted. Now that I'd met with Bella and I'd actually gotten to speak to her, I wanted nothing more than to lie down on the table I was leaning against and fall asleep. But I had to go to the hospital and see what I could do about her medicine, and I wanted to help out a little with the shelter…chance running into her again.

After hanging up with my father, I headed out, grabbing my keys from my pockets and jumped into my car, not stopping to talk to anyone on the way. I wanted to get her what she needed as soon as possible, and as I drove, I remembered the look on face when she'd talked about the man she'd lived with. The man that had stolen her money and who'd, if I had to guess, taken advantage of her and made her live under his thumb. Because he made more money than her. I hated him. I'd kill whoever had laid a hand on her if I could.

The hospital had done plenty of work with the shelter, so accessing her medical files and calling in her medicine was no trouble, really. Everyone around me was too busy with their own work to pay me any attention, so I locked myself in my father's office, something that he'd given his permission for but something I didn't take advantage of often, and brought up Bella's chart on his computer, not wanting anyone to oversee what I was doing.

Bella was born in Forks, Washington, a pretty quick drive from Seattle, according to Google, but had moved to Phoenix, Arizona with her parents when she was barely three. At four, her mother had died, but all that was in her file was a note about a few meetings with a therapist…other than that, there were no major issues for a few years. A case of strep, then a cold. The headaches had started when she was almost seven. She'd nearly blacked out after the first one, and the first few had sent her to the hospital. She was prescribed some pain medicine suitable to her age, then a lower dose migraine medicine when she was eleven. At thirteen, they'd started trying different higher dose prescription drugs, and by fourteen, they seemed to have gotten it right. And then, at sixteen, another therapy visit. Her father's death, living with a foster family.

At eighteen, her file really picked up. A sprained wrist and some severe bruising around her shoulder and neck that was attributed to a fall down the stairs. Another fall, apparently down a different set of stairs leading up to her house, led to two broken ribs and a boot shaped bruise on her side. Bleeding laceration on her head and a chipped tooth at nineteen. Another broken rib, and assurances that she would be more careful. An insistence that she was just clumsy. Twenty-two had been her worst year. January thirteenth, she'd been brought in by an ambulance with her right leg broken in two places, a dislocated shoulder, a busted lip and covered in bruises and lacerations. She'd been unconscious for almost a week.

That was the last bad injury in her file. According to the notes, she'd been mugged, but had been unable to tell the police anything about the man. There was another note that her boyfriend had stayed by her side, a James Carver, and had seemed very worried about her. He'd agreed to questioning by the police and had explained that he'd been out with friends, all of whom had verified his story, and had been terrified when he'd come home and his girlfriend wasn't there. I might have taken down his address and phone number, just in case.

Still, a background check had yielded nothing other than a job at a mechanic, two speeding tickets, and the fact that he'd been bounced around foster homes with his sister from the time he was six and a few years of therapy. Despite all of this, I had no doubt that this was the man she was running from, and that had hurt her so much. I remembered the fading bruises that circled her throat and tried not to imagine the force it would have taken to make those marks…tried not to think about hands circling her throat and squeezing, cutting off her air, making her cry and beg…the thought made me sick.

I shook my head, trying to dislodge the images and focus on the task at hand. I'd learned all I really could from her chart. A quick, secure google search told me that she hadn't been reported as missing. No one was, according to the internet, looking for her. She wasn't missed. I sighed, typing in her ex-boyfriend's name, coming up with several hits on various social media sites, but no solid leads. Typing in his address, I found an image on Google Maps that showed me a little two story place, a rental probably, with a cute little picket fence. Of course James and Bella had lived in a house with a picket fence.

Shutting down the computer, I left my father's office, locking it behind me, and left for the shelter once again. However, Rose met me at the door, crossing her arms and glaring at me. "Go home, Edward." She ordered, gesturing back towards my car with her head.

"What?"

"You were here all night, and you helped us serve breakfast. You're exhausted. We don't need any more help, and Marie doesn't need you skulking around, trying to stare at her."

"I'm not…" She ignored my indignation.

"Edward, I get it. You care about her. You like her. Maybe you even have a crush on her. But I'm here to protect her, and if the marks on her are any indication, she just escaped from an abusive relationship. Give her some time before you start chasing after her." I glared at her, more offended than indignant now. "You need sleep. Take a day off. You helped her out, right? Did you get her name?'

"How did…"

"I've been doing this for a while, and I know you, Edward. Did you get it?"

"Yes. I ordered it."

"Good. You've helped her today. Now leave. Don't make me get Emmett to drag you home."

"Fine. Do you need help tonight?" I asked, my hopes rising just a little. She shook her head, moving forward until I was forced to back out onto the porch, and I just barely backed up in time to have the door slammed in my face. "Bye, Edward. See you on your next day off."

**Thank you all for reading :)**


	8. Off Days

_**It had been a while, and I am so sorry! I've finally gotten back to the States, have been settling in here, had to get a new computer, did some of my own writing, job hunting, etc. So much to do! I know this chapter is a bit fillerish and I still need to work on my other stuff, but I wanted to let you know that I'm still here and committed to finishing. Thank you all for reading and for your patience. **_

_Edward_

Usually, I liked my days off, even when Rose didn't need me at the shelter. They were peaceful and I could catch up on my reading or my TV shows...Emmett called them my 'stories' like I was an old woman who watched soap operas, no matter how many times I told him they were sitcoms. Just because I was DVRing old episodes of Friends to rewatch...and Buffy. Buffy was awesome, even if I did find werewolves mildly repulsive for some reason. Regardless, I was suddenly finding it hard to amuse myself with daytime TV. Instead, I'd struggled all night to actually fall asleep, and once I finally did, I dreamed about a lovely young girl with dark hair and fading bruises around her neck. The dreams changed...sometimes she was holding a baby, in others she was crying, her arms wrapped around herself as she sobbed. Once, she and I had been...embracing. And kissing. In another she'd clung to me, trying to hide from the shadow that chased her.

When I woke at six a.m., I was left with a strange feeling of anxiety that had me longing to call Rose to check on Bella...only Rose was probably asleep at home, and since it was, in fact, six a.m., Bella probably was too. I sat up with a groan, feeling exhausted and worried for no reason, and slipped my feet into the old man slippers that Alice had gotten me as a joke last year and that I had intended to re-gift until I'd actually tried them on and realized how comfortable they were.

The TV provided some nice background noise as I threw on some actual clothes, debating on whether or not I should go jogging. One look at the thermometer and I threw that idea out the window. Shutting the curtains, I told myself I'd go jogging the next day and then dropped onto the sofa with a poptart. Still, even through my sitcom, my mind was on Bella, and, fully aware of how pathetic I was being, I glanced at the phone, wondering when it would be soon enough to call Rose.

'No.' I told myself sharply. 'I can't start bugging Rose and calling her about Bella...or B...or Marie. Whatever she wanted to be called. I couldn't give Rose or Emmett or Jasper any reason to ban me from the premises. It was the only place I could see Bella. So I'd lay off. It was my day off, and Bella was probably busy anyway. She was working with the kids and getting settled in the shelter. I had no right to bother her. I'd probably see her again within a week when I was working at the shelter...or maybe before. I got off early sometimes...no. I would do what Rose had suggested and take it slow. Besides, if I ever wanted any kind of chance with Bella, I needed to give her space and time to heal.

So I spent my day at home. All of it. I cleaned. I ate leftovers and whatever I found in my cabinet. I called Alice and complained to her, but she didn't have any sympathy for me, what with the wedding planning and her own career. I did manage to rant for almost twenty minutes before she abruptly hung up on me, as she was prone to do when she was bored. I even called Emmett and chatted with him for a few minutes on his lunch break before he had to go. Although I didn't ask about B, he did mention that she was doing well and taking the day to rest and hang out with the kids around the shelter. I was grateful for the information but didn't ask for more. I needed him to know that I was serious about this girl, and had no intention to hound him for information.

What followed my last day off was a 2 day shift. Carlisle was still in Seattle, though he did call me, as did Esme while they were away, just to make sure everything was okay. They didn't ask about B, which wasn't surprising. Esme hadn't even met her. I didn't volunteer any information, and let them get back to their romantic week without asking for any details. Working without Carlisle was strange, but Alice was there most of the time to eat lunch with and keep me somewhat entertained with wedding planning stories. The wedding was planned for the summer, so she still had a few months and refused to take a break from work up until the week of the actual wedding.

It was Wednesday afternoon by the time I made it to the shelter again. I'd slept in after such a long shift, and had finally dragged myself out of bed at eleven with the intention of going grocery shopping, but I decided to stop by the shelter on my way, and Emmett, who was hanging out with the receptionist and Emilie who was sitting on the desk beside him, didn't seem surprised to see me.

"Uncle Edward!" Emilie jumped down and ran over to me, leaping up into my arms and threw her arms around my neck.

"Hey, kiddo." I swung her around, kissing her hair. "How's it going?"

"Mommy said Daddy was causing trouble in the kitchen and made him come out here." She whispered loudly, her eyes solemn, and Emmett groaned.

"Hey! I thought that was going to stay between us?" He complained.

"It's just Uncle Edward." She reasoned, and I chuckled, hoisting her onto my hip.

"That's right, Em. It's just Uncle Edward." I teased.

"I don't think she needs any help today, Edward. A church group sent a bunch of teenagers over, and they've been surprisingly helpful. Lunch is handled and they're staying until after dinner."

"Anybody need to be looked at?" I wondered, setting my niece down with a pat on her head.

"I don't think so...most of the sick kids are feeling better. You could always open up the examination room just to make sure. The nurse should have any notes if anyone is still sick."

"Thanks." I grinned, glad that he wasn't going to talk about Bella.

"Speaking of the examination room…" I groaned. "B seems to be settling in rather well. She started work on Monday...you know, she and the kids should be in the reading room now. That's right by the examination room. She promised to read Sam a story, and they all love her now. She's been reading to them for almost an hour." He suddenly sobered. "Jasper has been trying to hang around...she's more afraid of him than she is of me, but it still makes her nervous when I'm around. Jasper is in the reading room with her." I turned around to look at him, his arm around Emilie's shoulder. "She won't talk to him. Not even a 'hello.' He really freaks her out." I nodded, feeling a pit in my stomach. Of course she was still afraid. "She lets the kids play with him and everything, and she smiles and nods...but she won't talk to him."

"Is she any better with you?" I wondered, and he shrugged.

"She's friendly. She talks. She laughs when I play with the kids. She says hello and good morning and goodbye...very polite. But not like she is with the kids. I haven't seen her interact much with the other women or the volunteers. The most talking I've seen her do is with Rose and with the girl training her on Monday."

I sighed, putting my hands in my pockets while Emilie looked between the two of us, looking a little worried. Forcing a smile for her, I nodded a goodbye to Emmett and headed into the examination room and left the door open. We didn't exactly have a schedule worked out, as me working at the shelter was a sort of new development and my father and I didn't exactly have regular schedules. When I came here, I usually just kept the door open and let women and children come to me whenever they needed to.

Thankfully, leaving the examination room door open had the added benefit of giving me a nice view into the room across the hall. Of course, with the angle, I could only see a few book shelves and some of the kids sitting around in a loose circle. But if I was quiet, I could lean up against the wall by the bed and listen. Usually, the kids were pretty noisy, and more than once I'd heard other women snapping at them to quiet down, but at the moment, they were all silent as Bella read them a story. Closing my eyes to catch all of the words, I realized that she was reading _Where the Wild Things Are_, one of my favorites from when I was a kid. I could remember sitting on my mother's lap, Alice on her other knee, and Emmett at her feet as she would read to us. She loved reading...and apparently Bella did to. I chuckled softly when she began to do different voices, keeping the kids captivated as she told them the old story.

I heard footsteps and moved away from the wall, hurrying over to the cabinet to appear busy. After a second, there was a slight tap against the door and I glanced up to find Jasper leaning in the doorway. His shaggy blond hair hung into his eyes and he tossed his head in obvious aggravation, tucking it away with a sigh.

"Hey Jazz. What's up?" I wondered, pretending to take another look into the medicine cabinet, then shut it, making sure to lock it.

"Just wanted to say hi. The kids are all behaving...thought you'd still be asleep. Didn't you work for the last two days?"

"Yeah, but I thought I'd stop in and check on things...I've got to go to the grocery. I'm out of poptarts and that's all I had in the house."

He chuckled a little, crossing his arms, but he still looked upset. "Maybe get some actual food?" He suggested.

"You okay?" I finally asked, hoping he would just come out and say it.

"Yeah…" He sighed, taking a step into the room and shutting the door behind him. "It's just…Marie."

"You've worked here for a while, Jasper." I reminded him gently.

"I know, I know. And the new women are always more skittish...heck, there are still some girls here that don't want anything to do with me _or_ Emmett. But Marie seems to just hate me."

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you." I argued, feeling sorry for both Bella, who for some reason really seemed frightened of Jasper and for my friend who wanted so badly to help these women and kids. Jasper was from the south, way down in Texas, and his accent gave him away. He was raised by a rancher and a housewife, with a brother and sister and lots of cousins, and he loved his family and America and women and kids and just about everything else. He was one of the kindest men I knew, and I knew that seeing these women in pain was awful for him, as was the idea of someone, especially a kid or a woman being afraid of him. "She's scared...maybe you look like someone she used to know. Or maybe she's just not used to you yet."

"She won't speak to me." He mumbled, shrugging. I sighed, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Give her time. It's only been a couple of days. She's still new here, and she's still settling in. How's she doing with the kids?"

"She's great with them. It's when and adult comes into the room that she shuts off. Like a light goes off inside of her. I'd like to know who did that to her." He grumbled, shaking his head. "Anyway, I don't think anybody's still sick. That medicine worked for the kids, and their mom's are all doing good. I think Rose might be coming down with something...she was sick this morning, but she's feeling better, so I'm guessing it was just a stomach thing. Anyway, you can probably get to your grocery shopping."

I nodded, glancing over at the door once more. He cocked an eyebrow, glanced back, then stared at me incredulously. "Man...Em said...you are not lusting after…"

"Shut up!" I growled. "I am not lusting after anyone."

"Dude, you cannot be serious." I cursed myself, hoping he wasn't about to spend this around. It was bad enough my family knew, plus Rose and Jasper now. No need to spread it around the shelter...or Seattle. "Edward, did you hear what you _just_ told me? She just got here. She's scared. She's still settling into a homeless shelter for battered women. And you want to…"

"I want to get to know her." I snapped, correcting him before he could say something that would get him punched in the face. "I want to make sure she's okay."

"You like her." He argued.

"Fine. I like her. But it's not like I'm stalking her or anything. I wouldn't hurt her!"

He stared at me skeptically, then sighed. "I never thought you would hurt her." He argued softly, leaning back against the closed door. "And if it works out, that's great. But she lives here, and you can come and go whenever you want."

"I don't want to make her uncomfortable." I told him softly. "I just want to start by getting to know her. I would never do anything to hurt her. I know I can't come by here just to see her, I can't go into areas that are only for the women and kids, and if I make her at all uncomfortable, Emmett has promised to throw me out himself."

Jasper finally cracked a smile, chuckling softly. "I know. Just be careful, okay. Don't let yourself get carried away. Give her space." He advised me softly. I understood where he was coming from, and I agreed 100%. Thankfully he wasn't teasing me, and I doubted he would go around telling people...except for Alice. Those two talked about everything.

Nodding goodbye, he left the room, stepping back against the wall of the hallway when the kids came thundering out of the reading room, talking amongst themselves quietly, probably thanks to Bello who followed them closely, pausing when she saw us in the doorway to the examination room.

Emmett and Jasper were right. As soon as she spotted Jasper, she froze, the blood draining from her face, and then she seemed to gather herself, turning to me and offering a slight smile. I returned the smile, watching out of the corner of my eye as Jasper followed after the kids. "I'll keep an eye on them for a minute." He offered, nodding to us as he left. Bella didn't acknowledge his words, only dropped her eyes to the ground, and I stepped backwards further into the room.

"Would you like to come in?" I offered. She nodded a little, following me but not shutting the door. I kept my distance, smilingly gently. "Were you able to get your medicine?" I asked, even if I knew the answer.

"Yes, thank you again. Rosalie gave it to me Monday."

"Good. Any more migraines?" I asked conversationally, leaning back against the bed.

"No." She shook her head.

"Good." I took a closer look at her, skimming her neck and the tops of her arms that showed above the neck of her sweater. "Those seem to be healing nicely." I observed softly, watching, enraptured as blood rushed to her neck and face, making her face glow a lovely red. "Would it be okay if I took a look." Honestly, I didn't need to. They hadn't caused her any trouble so far, and they were apparently just bruises, but the thought of touching her, even just a little, was incredibly enticing.

Just like I'd assumed she would, she hesitated, and I started to take back the question, feeling a little ashamed of myself for asking, when she surprised me by nodding and moving over to the other bed. I followed her over after a moment, gently lifting my hands to her shoulders. Her face grew even more red as I ran my fingers over her exposed shoulders and up to her neck. I assumed she had some more on her arms that were hidden from me, but I wasn't about to push my luck. She seemed to calm as I stood close to her, my hands resting on her throat, but I could feel the tension in her body. For all I knew, the last person who'd touched her like this had caused the bruises.

"They seemed to be healing well." I stated the obvious, gently running my thumb over her bruised skin, then pulled away, taking a step back and smiling calmly. She remained on the bed, watching me with her tiny smile. "How is your stomach? Any pain." I checked, crossing my arms and stepping back. Giving her space. Being professional. Resisting the urge to sit beside her. I was a doctor.

Her eyes darkened a little, slipping to the floor and then back up to me. "No. No pain."

"Good." I murmured, feeling both relieved and a little awkward. I usually had no trouble speaking with my patients...but she wasn't really my patient. Nor did I want her to be, unless she needed me to be her doctor. I wanted to be her friend. For now. Just a friend. And then more, but right now, I wanted to focus on the 'friend' part.

"I'll let you get back to work." I finally said, smiling gently at her. I wanted to touch her, to reach out and take her hand, but I was being a professional. A doctor. I was a doctor. So I would leave her alone. Let her get back to work and I would go to the grocery and no, I would not invite her to the grocery no matter how much I wanted to. "Have a nice day."

"Thank you. You too." Smiling at me, she slipped by, heading out into the hallway after the kids. Hoping that she would get used to Jasper...maybe even learn to like him, I made my way out into the main room, and then out the door, calling out a goodbye to Emmett on my way.

**Thank you all for reading! I truly appreciate it! I promise to try and update soon, but please understand that I'm having a difficult time with real life at the moment. Merry Late Christmas everyone! And Happy Holidays!**


	9. Helping Hands

_**Thank you so much to everyone who has read and who is reviewing. :) I am slowly getting real life back under control, and am trying to make time to write again. I'm going to try and start answering interviews again, but I have lots to catch up on...sorry I fell behind. I do truly appreciate all of you!**_

_Bella_

The blond man was engaged to be married to Edwards sister. He was good to the children and kind to the women, and most of the women loved him. They told me stories of how he would keep them safe and watch after them...accompany them to work if they were afraid to go on their own or into the city if they needed anything. He was a protector, like Emmett. A security guard. Rose trusted him to watch over us. But every time I saw his yellow hair or caught a glimpse of his ice blue eyes, I felt a jolt of familiar horror. And I knew I was ignoring him outright. I knew I was being incredibly rude and that he just wanted to help...I knew that Edward trusted him and that I should too. But I was afraid. So terribly afraid of that man and everything he reminded me of.

So when he entered a room, usually with a smile for me and the kids and his cheery 'good morning' or 'hello,' I would turn away, not even pretending to hear him. I would continue talking to the kids or just watching them...I would do anything but meet his eyes. I didn't let myself listen to his voice or meet his friendly gaze. I just pretended he didn't exist. Of course, I knew he wasn't James. Of course he wasn't James...if I had ignored James like I did Jasper, he would have killed me. Flat out. No questions asked. Jasper never even seemed offended, and no one thought that anything of it. Even the kids didn't question my refusal to speak to Mr. Jasper, as they called him.

None of them were afraid of either the blonde man or his soon to be brother in law. Instead, they seemed to flock to them, throwing their arms around them and climbing all over them as though they were jungle gyms. And the men seemed to love it. In fact, the two security guards seemed to seek out the kids whenever they had free time. Today, Jasper was standing over by the window where a few of the kids sat, listening with apparent rapt attention as they took turns grabbing for his attention and telling him stories. I sat on the other end of the library, reading softly to the kids who sat in a semi circle around me on the floor. Sam sat right at my side, his eyes fixed on me as they usually were. He'd taken a liking to me in the last week, as had Dr. Edward it seemed.

Edward had stopped by on his day off, and I'd seen him outside of the library in the examination room, and although he hadn't come in to see me, I'd caught him out of the corner of my eye looking at me...I'd felt his eyes on me. And then when he'd asked about my head...when he'd touched me, checking the bruises on my neck...I'd felt unfamiliar shivers shoot up my spine and throughout my stomach. It felt fantastic. And that, in itself, terrified me. But I didn't let it show. It was ridiculous to think that Edward's attention was due to anything more than the fact that he'd helped me before. Even if I was pretty. Even if I wasn't living in a homeless shelter. Even if I wasn't scarred by another man's hands...a man whose baby I'd just lost less than two weeks ago. Even if all of those things were true, what would a man like Edward, a doctor from a family of doctors, want with a girl like me? A girl who had done little more than graduate high school. Only one guy had ever really liked me, and look how that had turned out.

I felt eyes on me as I read, and I tried to ignore it. It had been a full week since Edward had come to the shelter and had looked at my neck, his fingers brushing against my skin. Since then, he'd spent a couple of days in the shelter, seeing people in the examination room and serving food. I'd smiled at him, thanking him as he'd handed me salad or spooned soup into a bowl for me, fighting the humiliation the entire time. This man, this incredibly handsome, intelligent man that I'd somehow allowed myself to develop something of a crush on, was serving me food at the homeless shelter where I lived. Fantastic. As if I had any kind of chance with a man like that...like I could ever be in a functional relationship.

Jasper was watching me as I read to the kids, finishing up the story book. "The end." I finished with a smile for all the kids that had gathered around, and one of them tugged at my pants.

"Can we go into the playroom?" She asked, and I nodded, standing and herding the kids into a line. The others, who'd been standing beside Jasper, hurried over, probably at his bidding, and joined the line by the door. As I ushered them forward, I headed to the other room as well, feeling Jasper move behind me. I wanted to scream. He was following me. He was coming with us. He wasn't following me. I didn't have to be afraid of him. Jasper wasn't going to hurt me. He'd never hurt any of the women. I wanted to scream. He was following me.

We were in the playroom, and so was Jasper, and the room wasn't big enough and I couldn't get out. It was like I could see the hallway where I'd stood, where he'd followed me up the stairs, screaming. He'd been so angry...I'd pushed him away from me. I'd told him to stop. I'd stood up for myself. And he'd pushed me down the stairs.

Someone was talking to me. Voices were in my ear, murmuring and whispering and a hand was on my shoulder. I couldn't stop shaking and it didn't make any sense...and then I opened my eyes to meet icy blue ones, framed with shaggy blonde hair. But when the mouth opened, the voice was different. It was deep and southern and gentle, nothing like James. I couldn't understand what he was saying though...and I suddenly realized that that was because I couldn't hear him. Because I was screaming. At some point, I'd dropped to my knees, covering my head with my hands, and the room was empty. Where were the kids? Why was Jasper kneeling across from me?

"Marie?" The muttering finally formed a word, and I managed to keep myself from flinching away. He was so close but he hadn't hurt me. He was touching my shoulder. He hadn't touched me yet before. He must have seen me looking around for the kids. "Another of the women took them outside to play. They understand. It's okay. You alright?" I managed to nod, but I was still shaking. I didn't seem to be able to belp that part. "Can I help you up?" I nodded again, feeling my stomach turn at the idea, but I let him help me to my feet, clutching his arm as he helped me up and into a chair.

I wanted to get up, to shove him away and scream and cry, but I couldn't move or breathe or make myself stop shaking! "Can you take a deep breath for me, darlin?" He murmured, his eyes on mine, his thumb moving gently back and forth over my arm. I wanted him to stop touching me. But I couldn't make myself say the words. His hand moved to his hip and I closed my eyes, but instead of touching me again, he pulled away, speaking into the walkie talkie that he suddenly held in his hand. I couldn't make out his words though...instead I curled up in the chair, my eyes screwed tightly shut until I heard Rosalie's voice.

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry...think I…" I couldn't understand much more of what he said, but the next thing I knew, he was gone, and Rosalie was kneeling in front of me.

"I'm so sorry." I managed to whisper, and was humiliated to find my eyes were wet. Tears dripped down my face as I sobbed, feeling more and more embarrassed for having a break down over nothing.

"It's okay. It happens. You're okay." Rosalie put her hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. "It's okay, Marie. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?"

"I can't…"

"You can. This happens sometimes. It's going to be okay. Come on." Gently pulling me to my feet, Rosalie let me lean on her as she walked me to the door, then through the hallway until we came to the room where all of the women slept. Quietly, we made our way to my little cubicle bedroom and she helped me to sit on the bed. As I lay down, curling up under the covers and feeling hot tears drip down the corner of my eyes. "Edward's coming later tonight...why don't you go see him when he comes? He'll be in the examination room...you feel safe with him, right?" I managed to nod, wondering how safe I would feel with him right now. Still, I did trust him more than pretty much everyone else. I'd given him my real name and had talked to him more than I'd spoken to anyone else…

"I'm sorry." I murmured again, feeling like I was coming apart at the seams. I'd been doing so well with the kids and the rest of the women and even Emmett and Jasper...well I'd been ignoring Jasper. Regardless, I'd been better.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I knew that her mother-in-law Esme was back from her vacation. Edward and Emmett's mother was a soft woman with a kind smile that counseled the women and kids that needed it. More than once, Rosalie had suggested I speak to her. I had another week before I needed to talk to Rosalie about everything...or at least give her my name and information. But I didn't want to talk to a counselor or a therapist or anything of the sort. I wanted to feel normal again...if I'd ever really felt normal. I couldn't see how talking to a shrink, no matter how well meaning she was.

I shook my head, and I wasn't all that surprised when the woman nodded, pulling a blanket over me, and left me alone. Alone to think about what an idiot I was and alone to realize that I'd just had some kind of break down at my job in front of everyone, all over a man that had similar features to James. A man whose actual job description included taking care of me and making sure that no one hurt me.

At some point, I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, someone was saying my name. Rosalie. I'd come to know her voice quite well in the last two weeks, and as much as I wished I could have my own place and live on my own, it was nice to be surrounded by voices sometimes…to know that I wasn't alone. "Marie? How are you feeling?" She asked once I'd opened my eyes, peering blearily up at her. I'd been dreaming something strange…something about Jacob. There were still days when I missed him, even if I'd only met him a handful of times. He'd been kind. One of the very few people who'd been kind to me in the last few years.

"I'm okay." I murmured, wondering what time it was. She knelt by the bed, her hand on my shoulder.

"Esme is in her office…she wants to speak with you if that's okay."

Unlike the last time she'd asked, this sounded more like a strong suggestion than an actual question. I didn't want to upset her or make her angry. I was afraid that she would move onto demanding, so instead of forcing her hand, I just nodded. If she wanted met to say hello to the in-house therapist, I wasn't really in a position to say no. It's not like I was mentally sound at the moment.

I felt strange, like all emotion had been drained from me as I followed Rosalie down the hallway, into a part of the building I'd never been to. Emmett and Jasper were nowhere to be seen, although we did come across one of the female security guards whose name I didn't know. Rosalie greeted her with a nod, guiding me back through the hallway and then to a shut door that she tapped on only once before the lovely brown haired woman answered.

Esme was beautiful. I'd thought so the first time I saw her, and even in my strange, emotionally wrought state, I took the time to notice how lovely she was. Dark brown eyes, caramel colored hair…I could see immediately how well she and Carlisle went together. I must have looked bad, because those dark brown eyes immediately clouded over with concern, and Esme hurried over to where I stood, reaching out and touching my shoulder.

"Marie? Come, sit." Esme ushered, helping me to sit in a chair across from her desk. Instead of going back behind the desk, pulled another padded chair over and sat beside me, looking between me and Rose. "Are you alright? Do you need us to call for a doctor?" I wondered again what time it was…if Edward was here. Or his father, the kind Carlisle Cullen who had helped me when my stomach had tried to tear itself apart and I'd lost the baby I hadn't even known I'd been carrying.

"I'm okay." I insisted softly, trying to give her a convincing smile. She wasn't fooled.

"I'll be back." Rosalie told me, nodding to her mother, and before I could protest, she was gone, leaving me with her mother-in-law the therapist who still looked at me like I was going to collapse at any moment.

"You're not okay, Marie." Esme reminded me gently, keeping her voice soft. "Rose told me what happened earlier…with Jasper." I bit my lip, not sure what she wanted me to say. I'd panicked. I'd had a complete break down. I had no idea what I was supposed to say about it. I felt so strange…so completely drained. "Marie?" A hand lifted almost to my face, but stopped just short. "How are you feeling now, honey?"

"I don't know." I admitted, my teeth immediately going back to my lip and biting down hard.

"Marie, have you ever taken medication for anxiety?" I shook my head, staring at the ground. "I think it may be worth a try, along with counseling. It's no out of the ordinary…not in the least. Many of the women here take medication after what they've been through. I don't know what's happened in your life, but I know it was bad. "I know you spoke to Edward…he was able to get you your medication. Either he or Carlisle would be able to prescribe you something for anxiety. Of course, I could as well…if you were comfortable speaking with me."

"I don't know." I didn't have anything else to say. If felt like I'd been doing so well…and everything had fallen apart around me because some guy looked similar to James. Even now, he was hurting me. Even now, he was controlling me. It was like I'd never gotten away.

Gentle hands rested on my shoulders, and pretending that Esme was someone I trusted, I leaned forward, resting my head on her shoulder. "I'm so tired." I admitted, choking back a sob when she moved her arms around me. In twenty seconds, I'd gone from feeling nothing to feeling everything, and I hated it. I clutched the woman I barely knew, my entire body suddenly shaking with sobs that I couldn't stop, and she rubbed my back, murmuring comforting mom-words to me.

"It's okay." She kept promising, and even though I didn't believe her, it helped. After a few minutes, just as a headache was starting to build and my throat was feeling raw, I heard someone else come in, and a deep masculine voice filled the room with words I couldn't comprehend. Then there was a quick pinch in my arm, and someone was picking me up and before I could figure out what was happening, I was placed on a sofa I'd spotted when I'd first come into the room, tucked over by the window.

It took some effort, suddenly, to open my eyes, but when I did, I immediately recognized the face of the guy that just kept helping me. Touching my arm, he crouched down in front of me, smiling softly. "It's okay…it's just something to help you sleep for a little while."

"Sorry." I mumbled, hoping to get across that I was sorry that I was such a mess…that I was sorry for being such a burden on these people that were trying to help me. I was even sorry about Jasper…for reacting to him in such a way when he was one of the people trying to help me. "Edward, sorry." That was all I could get out before my eyes closed on their own, but before I was completely lost to the darkness, I felt him squeeze my shoulder, tucking me more securely under a blanket for the second time that day.

"It's alright, B. Don't worry about it. Just rest."

When I woke once more, I was in the same place, the same dark room belonging to the therapist who was no longer with me. Instead, in the paltry light from a lamp in the corner, I saw Dr. Edward Cullen flipping through what looked to be a text book. For a long time, he didn't even glance up. I didn't speak up. Instead, I watched his eyes run over the words and pretended that I wasn't some nut job who'd had a panic attack because his almost-brother-in-law had been in the same room, and then sobbed all over his mother. Instead, for a moment, I was just a woman looking at a handsome doctor. Scolding myself tiredly, still feeling somewhat tired, I shifted on the sofa, meeting his eyes when he glanced over. Placing the textbook on the table beside the chair where he sat, he stood, moving over to where I lay and knelt down.

"Bella?" It was so strange to hear someone using my real name, and even more strange to hear _him_ using it. "Are you awake?" I nodded, sitting up a little on one arm, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Are you feeling better?"

"I think so." I admitted, blinking and wiping at my eyes.

"It's almost ten…I saved you some dinner. Are you hungry?" I wasn't really sure. "Still fuzzy?" He asked with a small smile, and I nodded. "Here." Reaching out, he helped me to sit up against the wall, supporting me for a moment until I could keep myself propped up. He held out a hand for a moment, making sure I was stable before pulling away and crouching in front of me once more. "I gave you a low dose of a sedative…I believe you had an anxiety attack earlier…or maybe just a flashback. Either way, my mother asked about putting you on anxiety medication?"

"Yeah." He was quiet for a moment, watching me intently, and I felt the urge to speak up. To explain some of this. "Jasper looks like him." I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "He was blonde…they have the same eyes."

Edward nodded slowly, sighing and reaching out. I didn't flinch when his hand landed on my shoulder. The bruises were gone, I suddenly remembered. I'd looked in the mirror of that communal bathroom this morning, and the color on my neck and around my arms had faded to my normal pale. His handprints were gone. I still had the scars, but I knew that those would probably never disappear. I'd never be rid of his marks. But the place where Edward's hand was, where he squeezed gently, was clean.

"I know he's nice. I know he won't hurt me." He nodded again, letting me talk. Somehow knowing that I needed to talk and that I trusted him of all people. "But he followed me…into the room with the kids and I can't talk to him. He reminds me."

"I understand." He moved, watching me carefully the entire time, and I scooted over just a little, letting him know that I understood what he was doing and that I was okay with it. The couch dipped a little beside me, and his arm moved slowly until it was around my shoulders. Allowing myself to relax, I leaned against his side, resting my head on his shoulder like I had his mother's.

"I don't know if I'll ever be okay." I whispered into the mostly dark room, my eyes filling once more.

"I think you will." His head rested against mine, his ear pressing into the top of my head, and it felt so wonderful to be comforted. To be held against someone's side and told that it might be okay. "So many of the women that come here start out like this…afraid and hurt and unable to even leave their rooms. Others only stay for a few days before they get back to their lives…some even go back to the people that hurt them. You're still here. You're working. You're putting your life back together. You're doing the best you can, and we're all here to help you. So it's hard right now. And it's going to be hard for a while. But it does get easier."

"What if it doesn't?"

"Then we'll still be here to help. To figure out why it's not getting better. I'll still be here. Okay?"

I nodded, pulling away a little and looking at him in the darkness. HIs green eyes were soft as they glanced down at my lips, and for just a brief second, I wished he would. I wished it would be okay, and that it wouldn't scare me or upset me any more…that I would be able to enjoy being kissed by a handsome man I had a crush on. Thankfully, his eyes moved back to mine, and he squeezed me one more time. "Why don't you eat something, and then you can sleep again? If you want, I'll see about getting you some anxiety medication. My mother wants to speak with you again, but you don't have to if you don't think you're ready. You can speak to any of us if you prefer…you can even talk to me if you want to. If you think it'll help. I'd be happy to listen."

**Thank you all so much for reading! :)**


	10. Professionals

**_Thank you all for reading and reviewing :) I know it's been a long time, and I promise I'm trying to keep up with both stories, but I've been sick for a week and I have classes and work and real life has just been really busy. Sorry for the wait. Shield should be updated within the next few days._**

_Edward_

Jasper was waiting outside the door. He'd been outside the door for hours, leaving to check on the rest of the place and then coming back, leaning against the wall and waiting. When I'd hurried into my mother's office, I'd passed him crouching against the wall, his hair fisted in his hands as he berated himself softly. "It's not your fault." I'd murmured, stopping to drop a hand on his shoulder. "You can't blame yourself."

"I knew that I made her uncomfortable. I knew that I scared her. But I kept hanging around her…I thought it would make her more comfortable around me. And then she just…I was too close to her…I freaked her out."

"You were trying to help her, Jasper. You were just trying to get her used to you being around…it's no different than what Emmett did." I'd murmured, squeezing his shoulder gently, and my almost-brother-in-law had looked up with haunted blue eyes.

"I scared her." He'd whispered in the quiet hallway, glancing at the door where we could hear her quiet sobbing. Inside my medical bag, I had a sedative that I'd planned on giving her. According to Esme when she'd asked for me, she was in hysterics, and she needed the rest. Leaving Jasper by the wall, I'd stood, hurrying in to find the girl sobbing into Esme's shoulder, her entire body shaking. Kneeling beside them, I'd given my mother a soft smile as I'd reached for Bella's trembling wrist, sighing when I felt the girl's pulse racing. I had to calm her down. Pricking her quickly with the needle and moving her onto the sofa, my heart had broken when she'd apologized, looking at me sadly through tired, confused eyes, and I'd barely had time to reassure her before she'd fallen asleep.

Jasper had remained outside the door until Bella had woken up, stirring on the couch and staring at me silently. I'd continued staring down at my textbook, something I'd been flipping through just to pass the time, giving her some time to get her bearings. And then she'd admitted that Jasper looked like 'him.' The man who had hurt her. The man that had put those bruises on her neck and had led to her living in a homeless shelter, having panic attacks, and making minimum wage watching kids all day when she should have been in college, getting a degree in whatever she wanted. Jasper looked like the man that had shattered her. No wonder she'd had a panic attack when he'd gotten close.

Bella sat across from me in the dim room, picking at the plate of food that I'd brought her from the kitchen. Esme had headed home for the night, but first she'd asked me to remind Bella that she wanted to see her again sometime this week. She also wanted to put her on anti anxiety medication. It wasn't uncommon, especially with what Bella had been through, but I knew it was still hard for her to be told that she needed more medication.

I was sure that Jasper had heard what she'd said…her explanation about why he'd frightened her so badly and why she never spoke to him. And I was sure that it was killing him. Jasper would literally rather die than hurt her, but there was nothing he could do about her fear of him. It wasn't anything she could control…I just hoped that prolonged exposure to him would help her get used to him, and to help her realize that Jasper was nothing like whatever man had hurt her. For a moment, I almost wished that the guy would show up in the city so that Jasper and Emmett could 'take care' of him, but I also knew that this could be more traumatic than helpful for her.

I glanced up at her, still moving the food around her plate listlessly, her eyes heavy as she stared down at her plate. Moving back to her side, I touched her back, and she glanced up at me. "Think you can eat some more?" I asked gently, rubbing my hand up and down her back, and she nodded, managing another little bite of vegetables. "Would you like to go to bed?" I asked, frowning when she shook her head vigorously, dropping the fork onto the plate. "Are you done?" She nodded, and I took the plate, placing it on the floor by my feet and focused on keeping my arm around her. She didn't seem to mind…on the contrary, she leaned against me, sobbing softly, and I continued rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry." She suddenly whispered, speaking again for the first time since admitting to me that she was afraid of Jasper because he looked like whoever had hurt her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I murmured, wondering if she had decided to take me up on my offer to listen if she wanted to talk. I hoped so. I wanted to get to know her, even if it was just by listening to her as a therapy exercise. "No one is upset with you, B. Jasper understands…he was just worried about you. And Rosalie has had to deal with things like this before, all the time. She understands. My mother just wants to help, but you don't have to talk to her. You'll feel better after some rest and you can get back to work tomorrow like nothing happened." Her lips turned up a bit at the corners, and she glanced up at me shyly, looking hopeful. "No one is upset with you." I repeated, squeezing her gently against my side. To my unending surprise, she let me hold her, continuing to lean against me as if for comfort. Maybe she trusted me…the thought made my heart warm, and my stomach tightened at both the knowledge that she needed the comfort and the worry that this would suddenly be too much for her…that she would shove me away and tell me to leave her alone.

"I hurt his feelings." I couldn't argue with that. But it wasn't her fault, and I reminded her of that softly. "I hat this. I hate being afraid when I don't have to be."

"That's going to change, B. It takes time, just ask any of the women here. You'll realize that you're safe now." She pulled away a little, looking up at me almost fearfully as if she was looking for the truth of my assertion in my eyes. I met her eyes as steadily as I could, trailing my hand down her arm to find her hand, squeezing gently. She laced her fingers through my own, and just for a second, she had a familiar look on her face…a strange, almost longing look that I knew was mirrored in my own, and it took me a minute to shove down that hope. There was no way I was interpreting that correctly. She was traumatized. She was frightened. She'd just had a panic attack because a man who looked like her abuser had come too close to her. There was no way she had any interest in me as anything other than her doctor. Maybe even as a friend, but that was pushing it. I had a crush on her and that was the only reason I thought, for just a millisecond, that she might want me to kiss her. I was being ridiculous.

With a long, sad sigh, Bella rested her head on my shoulder once more and almost snuggled against me, shifting against me. "Why don't you want to go to sleep?" She shrugged, like a child that was fighting sleep, and I ran my hand over her back, running my other thumb over the back of her hand. "Are you afraid?"

"I'm always afraid." She admitted, hiding her face in my shoulder.

"Go ahead and rest. I'll be right here."

"I'm so tired of being afraid."

"I won't let anything happen to you."

"What if he comes here?"

"Emmett and Jasper won't let him get to you. None of us will."

"What if you can't stop him?" Her voice had gone faint and I shifted so that we were reclining against the back of the sofa, her small body cradled against me, fitting perfectly beside me and under my arm.

"I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise. I'll do anything to keep you safe?"

"Why?" That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? It wasn't my job. I wasn't her bodyguard. I decided to tell her just a little of the truth.

"Because I care about you." I murmured. "You're important to me."

"Why?" She asked again, her voice somehow fragile, as if my answer could break her. I wouldn't let that happen.

"Because you're special to me. I want to make sure you're okay. Because you're smart and lovely and so, so strong. You're one of the strongest people I know, and I hate what you've had to go through, but I think you are an incredible person. And I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you're safe. Okay?"

"Okay." She whispered, her voice trailing off just a little, and I smiled when I realized that she was drifting off. "I'll be here in the morning." I told her quietly, relishing the feeling of her in my arms if only for a little while. "Just sleep. You don't have anything to be afraid of here." Except the doctor that had a crush on her, because honestly I couldn't see how that could possibly end well.

Rose found us like that almost an hour later, her perfectly manicured eyebrow lifting in disapproval, and I sighed, trying to explain as quietly as I could that she had been feeling bad and I'd been trying to help her. Shaking her head, Rosalie entered the room fully, kneeling beside me. "Edward, you know this looks inappropriate." She warned softly.

"I was trying to comfort her. She was frightened, and I was trying to make her feel better. That's all."

"You're sure?"

"Rose…." I sighed, shaking my head. This wasn't something I wanted to get into at the moment. "Can you just get the door so I can take her to bed?"

"Take her to bed?"

"Rosalie!" I snapped under my breath, and she sighed heavily, standing and heading over to the door to hold it open while I slipped my arms under her shoulder and knees, lifting her easily and carrying her through the door and into the hallway. Sometime during the last hour, I assumed Jasper had actually gone home, or maybe he was still hanging around somewhere with Emmett, waiting to talk to me.

"This is the only time I'm going to allow you into the women's rooms. You know that right?"

"She fell asleep on the couch, Rose. I just offered to listen if she needed to talk and she didn't feel well. She fell asleep while she was talking to me. I'm taking her to bed."

"You have a crush on her. You're practically obsessed with her." My jaw dropped and I glanced down quickly to make sure Bella was asleep. Her eyes were closed, thankfully, and I glared at my sister in law. "Outside of this shelter, you do whatever you want with her, as long as she's okay with it. But I've told you before…"

"I was comforting her!" I snapped, trying to keep my voice down as we headed into the women's bedroom, and I placed the sleeping girl onto her bed, tucking her in automatically as I argued with Rose. "Nothing else. You know I wouldn't do anything to get you into trouble, or to hurt any of the women here."

"I think you're walking a very thin line between 'comforting her' and behaving inappropriately with one of your patients." Rose told me simply as we left the room, shutting the door behind her so that the light didn't wake the other sleeping women and kids.

"She's my father's patient, not mine. I happen to work here."

"Exactly! Edward, you work where she lives. You don't see a problem with that?"

"No. Because nothing happened. We were just talking." Rose sighed, turning to face me in the empty hallway, but before she could say anything, Emmett emerged from the kitchen, looking between us warily.

"Jazz told me what happened." He told us quietly, glancing behind us at the closed door that would lead us to the women's bedroom. "She okay?"

"She's fine." Rose told him shortly, giving me a sideways look as she moved toward her office. "Where's Emilie?"

"Jazz has her in the front room." So that's where he was. We found him sitting on the sofa, the small girl curled up on his lap, her hand fisted in his shirt, her head on his shoulder as her heavy eyes moved to us. Rose reached out her arms, thanking Jasper softly and pulling the girl into her arms. Immediately her daughter's arms looped around her neck and Emmett turned to me.

"What happened?" He wondered quietly.

"I think it was a panic attack…"

"No, I know that. I mean, what has Rose so upset?"

Jasper had stood and was now standing beside us, listening for my response. "She was upset. I told her she could talk to me. She did. She fell asleep. That's it." I told them irritably, and Jasper lifted an eyebrow. "Rosalie thinks that something…inappropriate is going on between us."

"Is it?"

"Of course not!" I snapped, glaring at Emmett. "You know I wouldn't…it's just…I mean, I do like her but…"

"I get it." Emmett held up a hand, shaking his head. "I didn't think you would do anything inappropriate with her, especially not here. Rose just wants you to be careful."

"I am being careful."

"Are you sure she's okay?" Jasper put in, and I offered him a weak smile.

"She will be. You look like the man that hurt her. You can't help that." Emmett lifted an eyebrow. "I'm guessing it's the blond hair and blue eyes. It freaked her out when he got too close…that's why she's so frightened of him." Emmett sighed, crossing his arms.

"Why don't you take over hanging around with the kids…I'll just take the women to their jobs and patrol outside."

"No…that would just make her feel worse." I argued, turning to Jasper. "She hates that she hurt you…she's still working through this."

"I don't want to scare her again." He told me with a self conscious shrug, and I dropped a hand on my friend's arm.

"I know. But if you keep your distance and start avoiding her, it'll just make her feel worse."

He sighed, shaking his head and rubbing a hand through his hair. I knew that he didn't want to hurt her. But I also knew that by avoiding her, he would still be hurting her. It was like there was no winning, no matter what we did. And it wasn't Bella's fault. It wasn't anybody's fault, except for that monster who'd hurt her, wherever he was. "She'll be okay." I told him quietly. "It's going to be fine. It'll just take some time."

"That's easy for you to say. She likes you. She's comfortable with you. And Emmett too. But I got too close and she had a panic attack." He held up a hand, shaking his head when I would have argued. "Just…forget it. It's fine. I'm going to head home. Alice is waiting up." He nodded goodbye, giving Emmett a quick grin and waved goodbye to Rosalie who was coming out of her office with Emilie on her hip, fast asleep.

"We'd better be getting home." She told Emmett simply, and he gave me an apologetic look as he followed her out. I trailed behind, knowing better than to stick around when everyone else was leaving. From my car, I watched the others drive away, crossing my arms and laying my head back against the headrest. I hadn't done anything wrong. But if Bella had wanted to kiss me, I wouldn't have stopped her. And if Rosalie had walked in, she would have had every right to kick me out. She'd worked so hard on this shelter…it was her life. And Bella wasn't even close to emotionally stable right now. I couldn't let myself do this. I couldn't change my feelings for her, but I could be a professional when I was working with her. I could make sure that nothing inappropriate happened between us while she was still so vulnerable. I would be careful. I would be the professional. And maybe one day, when she was back on her feet, I could see if this spark I felt between us really meant anything.

It was strictly professionalism that had me waking up at six am to hurry over to the shelter, drowning coffee after coffee to keep my eyes open as I drove to the shelter and parked in the back, glancing over at Emmett and Jasper's cars before hurrying into the shelter and through the back to the Rosalie's office where I found my sister in law filling out forms, little Emilie asleep on the sofa. I plopped down in the chair across from her, smiling when she started a little, lifting an eyebrow and blinking at me. "Are you going to be here all day?"

"Good morning to you too."

"Look, Edward, you know this isn't personal."

"I'm a doctor who also helps out in the kitchen. I'm an excellent volunteer. You've never had any reason to complain about me. So what's up?"

"You have a crush on one of the girls."

"I do." I shrugged. "So what? I wasn't going to act on it. Not in here, and not right now anyway. I've never behaved unprofessionally in the workplace. Why would you think I would start now?"

"You've never had a crush on one of the girls, Edward."

"Nothing inappropriate has happened, Rose. You know that. And nothing will. So will you stop giving me the cold shoulder and treating me like a pedophile?" She rolled her eyes, glancing over at Emilie, still asleep on the sofa, and then pointed at the door.

"We need servers in the kitchen. Don't make me throw you out of this place."

"Love you too." I grumbled, snorting as I grabbed a blanket off of the back of the couch and draped it over the sleeping girl on the couch.

"Out." She ordered, grabbing another file from her desk and going to work.

The kitchen was full of volunteers and workers, all working to get breakfast assembled, and I found Emmett and Jasper mixing pancake batter. I joined them, grabbing a bowl and nodding good morning, still trying to wake up. "You're here early." Thankfully, Emmett's voice was more amused than reprimanding, and I shrugged with a grin.

"I had a day off."

"You didn't need to use your day off to…sleep? Instead of showing up here to make pancakes?"

"Does this have anything to do with the young woman who recently arrived…the one you were 'speaking with' yesterday?" I kicked Jasper in the shin, glad he was feeling better but not wanting the chance that Rosalie could overhear me being accused of unprofessional behavior, even jokingly.

"Don't let Rose hear you." Emmett warned him. "Rose is ready to have Eddie here thrown out. And she wants me to do the throwing out. So behave." He pointed his finger in my face, jerking back when I flicked pancake batter into his face.

Of course Bella arrived early to get breakfast, as she had to be at work early. And I knew it wasn't my imagination that she gave me a tiny smile, her eyes bright and sweet and her cheeks heated up just a little as I placed a pancake on her plate, then handed her a little container of syrup. Jasper was silent beside me, his head bowed, and Bella turned to him, her mouth opening and closing as though she wanted to say something, then turned away, sighing softly. I could have kicked myself…where did my professionalism go? Pushing the thought away, I smiled at the next woman in line, placing the pancake on her plate and handing her some syrup.

Breakfast flew by, and before long, I was doing dishes, scrubbing pancake and syrup off of plates. Jasper washed beside me, and Emmett waved goodbye cheerfully, heading into the other room where Bella watched the kids. "You okay?" I asked, glancing over at Jasper who was staring down at the sink.

"Fine." He smiled a little. "I think Marie's feeling better today…she seems okay."

"I encouraged her to speak with my mother…or anyone she felt comfortable with."

"Including you?" He asked with a slight smile, and I nodded, not bothering to deny it. "You think she'll come to you?"

"She was talking to me last night." I reminded him. "When she fell asleep."

"And you don't think this could be a problem?"

"I'm a doctor."

"Yeah, a doctor that likes her."

"But I know I can't do anything about that right now. I want to help her."

"Just be careful." He told me quietly. "Keep it professional in the building." He paused, placing a clean dish on on the dish drainer. "I think she likes you too, you know?" He grinned. "Did you see the way she looked at you when she was in line?" I crushed a small smile, shaking my head.

"I didn't notice." Jasper snorted, stacking the dry dishes and leaving me at the sink to finish up on my own. Of course I'd noticed. But I couldn't deny it, not really. She's smiled at me, her face lighting up when she'd seen me. And maybe it was just because I'd been willing to listen there. Maybe it was because I'd had the most interaction with her and she was starting to trust me. Either way, I would take it.

_**Thank you everyone for reading :)**_


	11. Taking the Initiative

**_Thank you so much to everyone who had been reviewing and reading! I appreciate it so much, and I hope you are enjoying the story!_**

_Edward_

It had been been almost a week since Bella's breakdown. Almost a week since I'd even seen her. One thing about being a medical resident; you never had to worry about getting enough hours at work. Every shift seemed to drag on, as somehow, I couldn't quite get the young brunette out of my mind, even if I was sure she wasn't thinking about me. Once, I'd accidentally called a girl 'Bella' and twice, my sister happened to walk by as I was staring into space, wearing what she described as a 'goofy' expression. Sometimes I wondered why I'd chosen to work at the same hospital as my sister, and then I remembered that the next hospital was really far away and honestly I liked being so close to my family…well, most of them.

Midway through the week, my father found me in the cafeteria and sat down across from me, placing his tray on the table. "Long day?" He asked, smiling grimly, and I chuckled.

"You could say that. You?"

"I just got out of surgery." He told me. "It ran a bit long…thought I'd grab a bite before my next one." He was quiet for a minute, and I knew he had sought me out for a reason. "I was at the shelter last night." I glanced up from my mystery meat, trying not to look too interested, but I was sure he wasn't fooled. "Marie was doing well with the children. Have you spoken with Jasper?"

"Not recently."

"Marie still get too close to him…apparently she's speaking with Rose today or tomorrow and giving her real information so that Rose can put her on the payroll." He regarded me quietly, taking a bite of his own food. Finally, I gave in and asked the question.

"Do you think that's safe…having her on the pay roll? What if someone comes here to find here? She's running from someone."

"Most of the girls who go to Rose are running from someone." He said reasonably. "That's why we have Emmett and Jasper."

"I know…" I trailed off with a sigh, taking another bite. I had to be back on the floor in ten minutes, but this was important. "I'm going to stop by tonight."

"Don't you work tomorrow?" Of course I did, and he knew that. I shrugged.

"Yeah, but I thought I'd stop in for dinner and help out."

"I believe Rose has plenty of help tonight."

"Dad, you don't really think…" I shook my head, dropping my fork. "What did Rose tell you?"

"That she was worried about the nature of your relationship with Marie." He admitted, placing his utensils on the tray. "And I understand that you have…feelings for her. And I trust that you would never behave inappropriately with one of the girls at the shelter." My father took a deep breath, looking at me earnestly. "If you truly have feelings for her, then of course I would encourage you to pursue it…I want you to be happy, Edward. We all do. But you know as well as the rest of us how careful you have to be, and how protective Rosalie is of her shelter and her girls."

"I wouldn't jeopardize that."

"I know. So does she. I'm just reminding you to be careful."

"You mean you don't think I should go to the shelter tonight?"

"I mean, I think you should wait until you actually have a day off. Give it a few more days, Edward. Bella's still adjusting to life at the shelter." He took another bite, glancing at his watch. "You're off in a few days. Friday and Saturday. Go then. Maybe have an actual conversation with Marie…offer to take her to lunch. Rose won't be watching and you won't be breaking any rules."

I felt a rush of hope bloom in my chest. I could take Bella out. Like a normal person with a girl that he liked. I could try and really talk to her. And not about medication or headaches or a homeless shelter. About…normal things. My father must have noticed my smile, because he chuckled, downing the rest of his water and standing. "You'd better get back on the floor. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks Dad." I murmured. He nodded, chucking, and reached out like he did when I was little, ruffling my hair. "Say hi to Mom for me." Grabbing my own tray, I jumped to my feet and hurried back to my job, anxious for my next day off.

* * *

><p>Somehow, even as I was doing rounds and flipping through charts, I was still thinking about Bella. Long brown hair, brown eyes, shyness, bruises…by the end of the day, all it took was for a patient to be female between 18 and 50 and they were reminding me of the girl from the shelter. I went over ever word we'd exchanged. I thought about the last day, when I'd served her pancakes. She didn't eat pancakes in the morning. Why had she taken one from me? And she'd smiled, blushing a little, the lovely red blossoming in her cheeks. The bruises were gone. She was filling out a little. Still, she looked frail and small to me, so breakable. Someone had done that to her. Someone had broken her. I couldn't fix her. I knew that. She was a person, independent and strong and lovely and small, and she would fix herself. But I wanted to be there. I wanted to hold her hand and help her through, to protect her from anyone who wanted to harm her.<p>

By the end of the day, I was convinced. I was going to ask her out. To lunch. On my first day off. As I turned on my computer and began to make notes in a patient file, I thought about where I would take her. What kind of restaurant would best express how I was starting to feel about this girl? That I wanted to spend more time with her and make her feel safe and cherished and everything that I saw in my parents' marriage, and my brother's.

"EARTH TO EDWARD!" I jumped straight up in my chair, yelping when the desk chair rolled out from under me, sending me crashing to the ground. Papers flew everywhere, and I felt several pairs of eyes on me. My face burned and I turned on my sister who was desperately trying to suppress a laugh.

"What the fu…"

"Language, brother darling." She scolded, finally giggling and bending down to pick up some of my papers. I managed to sit up, avoiding the eyes of every nurse and doctor and patient who happened to be looking my way. "I called your name six times. There's a patient who needs you in 221. Something about his surgery tomorrow…" Grumbling under my breath, I pushed past her, bumping her a little with my shoulder and giving her a cold glare. "Oh chill. I was just trying to get your attention. I'll pick up the mess you just made. You're welcome." She called, grinning when I just ignored her.

I threw my coat onto the couch as soon as I got home, dropping onto the sofa and closing my eyes, not even having the energy to make it the fifteen feet to my bed. 'If Bella were here, I'd make it to the bed.' I flinched at the thought, scolding myself for already thinking of something like that, and then immediately switched on the TV, hoping not to go down that road at all. I cared about Bella. A lot. I didn't want to start thinking of her like that yet. It was dangerous enough, this crush I had on her…these feelings I was developing for this frightened, fragile woman.

'Maybe she's not so fragile.' I told myself, flipping through the channels, wondering absently if she liked TV. I wondered what her favorite TV show was. Did she watch soap operas, like my sisters, or HGTV like my mom? Or maybe even the medical dramas that I knew my father loved but would never admit. Sitcoms like Emmett? Did she secretly watch cartoons like Jasper sometimes did with Emilie, pretending that they were for her? Maybe she just turned on the radio while she was working around the house. Or maybe she preferred silence. And what about food? I found myself wanting to know everything about her. She didn't like pancakes in the morning. Maybe she liked them at night. One day, I swore to myself, I would make her breakfast for dinner…I'd learn to make pancakes on my own, and pile them with butter and syrup and we'd eat eggs and sausage and pancakes on the sofa, watching whatever she wanted and curled up together.

'Too much.' I told myself, running my fingers through my already-unruly hair. 'Too much, too soon. I've never even been on a date with the girl.' But that didn't matter. Somehow, I already knew, deep down, and it was coming to the surface. I was falling in love with this girl that I barely knew, and I couldn't have cared less.

* * *

><p>The rest of my work days seemed to fade into a blur of thinking about Bella, trying to be a professional, and fielding questions and practical jokes from my sister who seemed desperate to get me to talk. She rarely worked at the shelter, and hadn't yet met Bella, but that would probably change soon. My sister was too nosy to leave this alone. Then again, it wasn't like I'd ever really been serious about a girl before. Of course, I'd dated a girl in high school for almost a year, but it had ended with both of us deciding to part as friends, and I rarely even saw her…as far as I knew, she'd moved to California.<p>

I woke up on Friday morning, bright and early out of habit. Bella was there, at the shelter. I would get to see her today. I smiled all the way through breakfast. I would ask her to lunch. A casual lunch…somewhere easy. Just a step above fast food. Very casual, but I wanted my intentions to be clear. I wanted to spend time with her, get to now her, but I would never rush her, or pressure her. I cared so much for her already…it was amazing. And now, hopefully, I could spend time with her. Real time, alone. Together.

The shelter was a short drive, and I spent at least a half hour making sure my car was spotless, then finally made it to Rose's just in time for breakfast. I had a plan. I would help serve breakfast. I would help clean up. My behavior would be above reproach…and then I would talk to Rose. Ask her first…not that I needed her permission, but I wanted her to know that this was all out in the open. I wasn't trying to sneak around with her, or break any rules. I wanted a future with this girl…the more I thought about her, the more serious I felt about her, until I was in the breakfast line, this time handing out fruit cups.

Emmett grinned at me sideways, and I nodded hello, determined to stare straight ahead and wait for her to enter. Rose joined us, arms crossed as she glanced over at me. "Carlisle already talked to me." She explained.

"I'm not breaking any rules." I immediately defended myself, a little irked that my father had spoken to her already and not given me chance to do so.

"I know…" She sighed, smiling as a woman with a little girl came by, and I handed the child a cup of fruit. She thanked me, skipping away with her food, and the mother followed tiredly. "I know you want to do this out in the open, and I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt her." She grabbed a rag and wiped off the counter, then crossed her arms once more. "I trust you Edward. Really, I do. I'm just…nervous about you dating one of the girls…especially one that just came here after a history of abuse. And before you start, I know you would never hurt her. But she's delicate right now. You have to be careful." I nodded, not bothering to argue or defend myself. She was right. I would have to be careful. I fully intended to be.

It took a while to clean the kitchen…Rose sent me back to clean before Bella showed up for breakfast, a move that seemed intentional on her part. Still, I would get to speak to her later. Rose told me that she was giving Bella the day off anyway. The girl had been working every day, except for the weekends, and working hard. Rose insisted that she deserved a break.

It wasn't hard to found her. Rose had gone ahead and given her the day off, and I discovered her in the library, flipping through a book. I found myself hiding outside the door, peeking in and watching her as she skimmed her book. Wuthering Heights…she held it like one would a beloved child, gently grasping the pages, eyes skimming the words. She'd already read this book. Probably more than once, from the way she would sometimes close her eyes and smile as she read, taking in the story with a tiny smile on her lips. I was enraptured. But after a few minutes, I was starting to feel creepy. Gently, I rapped my knuckles against the door frame, and she looked up with wide eyes that softened into a little smile when she saw me.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen." She murmured, placing the book on her lap. She was wearing a sweater. I wondered if Rosalie had given it to her. The jeans were baggy on her, hanging off of her waist, and on her feet were the same tennis shoes she'd worn to my house. I remembered her toes…the little flowers…her first pedicure. Were they still painted? Also, why was she calling me 'Dr. Cullen?'

"Hello, B. I didn't see you at breakfast." It was nearly eleven. I'd taken longer than strictly necessary to help clean the kitchen, partly because I'd wanted her to be hungry when I offered to take her out, but also because I was terrified that she would say no, or worse, get scared and never speak to me again.

"I wasn't really hungry." She kept her voice soft, her eyes downcast.

'Be careful.' I told myself firmly. 'You have to be careful.' Smiling, I took a step into the room. "Are you hungry now?" She looked up at me now, confused, and I forced myself to appear calm. She nodded. "I was wondering if you'd like to come to lunch with me."

I left it at that, letting her draw her own conclusions. She watched me carefully, looking both cautious and a little pleased. I hadn't scared her s much that she seemed uncomfortable; rather, the little smile took over her face, and she nodded. "Um…sure. Okay." She stuttered a little, clenching her fingers together in her lap. I had to choke back a delighted laugh. She'd said yes! Somehow, I'd just asked this beautiful girl to go out with me, and she'd said yes! Suddenly, I realized that she was looking at me curiously, and that she must have asked me something.

"Um…I'm sorry. What was that?" She smiled, obviously amused.

"I was wondering where you wanted to go, Dr. Cullen."

"Edward." I insisted, wanting to nip that in the bud. "There's an Italian place a few blocks away. How does that sound?"

"Great." She smiled, placing the book on the table beside her and standing, still looking a bit hesitant. I gestured with my head, letting her catch up and walk beside me, and every instinct I had was telling me to grab her hand and hold it…to offer her comfort and show her how much I cared about her. Instead, I made small talk.

"Have you had any migraines recently?" I asked, starting with the medical. No one could get suspicious about that.

"Only one, but I took the medicine and it helped. I just had to lay down for an hour or so."

"That's good. I'm glad you were able to get your medicine." I opened the front door, nodding at Emmett who watched from beside the desk, nodding back warily, his eyes full of warning for me. When Bella glanced up at him, he only smiled, and she gave him a shy smile in response. She had grown more comfortable around Emmett, as he'd assured me, even if she barely went near Jasper. She still hadn't spoken to him, and I knew it hurt him, but he never complained or even tried to go near her anymore. He would do anything to make her comfortable.

We left the building, stepping out into the brisk air, and I was glad that she was wearing a sweater. I wondered if Rosalie had given her a coat, but didn't want to ask. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable or embarrass her. I knew some of the girls were touchy about the subjects of clothes and money, so I wouldn't bring it up. I didn't blame them…I wished I could do more to help them, like Rose did. My sister cared so much for the girls she helped. She would have taken in every girl that lived on the streets of Seattle if she'd had the room and the money.

I led Bella to my car, opening the passenger side door for her, and she only hesitated for a moment, looking up at me with both trust and worry in her eyes, then slid in to the passenger seat. Once I was in the driver's seat, I picked up the conversation once more. "How do you like working with the children?" I wondered as I put the car in reverse and headed out of the parking lot.

"It's interesting…" She smiled, blushing just a bit. "They can be a bit wild, but I like it. They're mostly really sweet kids."

"Yeah, I've met most of them." I chuckled, thinking back on the many scraped knees and sprained wrists I'd patched up. "Emmett loves them." I wanted to say Jasper, too, but I didn't want to bring that up. I remembered with a stab of discomfort her panic attack a week or so ago…how just being near Jasper, a man that looked similar to the man from her past, had caused her to have an attack. I didn't want to get anywhere near that topic. Instead, I went on. "He loves playing with Emilie and the kids."

"She comes most days. She likes it when I help her with her math." I chuckled, nodding. I, myself had helped her with math several times. She hated it. I turned to Bella as I came to a stop at the red light.

"Were you always good at math?" I wondered. To my surprise, she laughed softly.

"Hardly. But I think I can handle elementary school addition and subtraction. As soon s she gets to multiplication tables, I'm going to have to refer her to a calculator."

Laughing softly, I pulled onto the side street, taking not that she was looking around now, seeming more nervous. "Have you been to this part of town?"

"No." She swallowed, clutching her hands together in her lap. "Just…just the area by the hospital and the shelter." She hesitated. "And your apartment. I'd never been to Seattle before."

For a moment, I started to ask about Phoenix, then realized that I shouldn't be pressuring her or asking her questions about her past. When she was ready to talk about it, she would. For the moment, all I knew was she'd lived in Arizona and that her medical file pointed to clear abuse, most likely by the guy she'd started living with when she was eighteen. I wondered if she remembered her mother, and I wanted to know about her father. And foster care. How had it been for her, living with strangers as a teenager? Had they been kind to her? Had they known what was going on with the monster she'd been living with? Had they cared? "Did you look at my medical file?" I glanced up in surprise, realizing that I'd parked the car outside of the restaurant and that were were sitting in the parking lot in silence, the car still running. I let it run. I wanted to keep both of us warm.

"I did." I admitted, glancing down at my lap, worried about meeting her eyes. There was nothing in her tone to give away how she felt about that.

"How far back?" She wondered.

"All of it…I wanted to know about your medical history…the medicine they had you on."

"You needed to look all the way back to know that?" She asked, and I flinched at her small voice.

"No." I admitted. "I didn't." Finally, I glanced over at her, flinching at the heartbroken look on her face. "I'm so sorry. I had no business going through your file. I should have just checked to see what kind of medicine you needed." She nodded, not answering. I wanted to reach out to her, to apologize again. 'Please, don't let me have ruined this already.' I pleaded silently with whoever was listening. 'I care so much for this girl. I can't lose her now.'

"You know everything." She spoke simply, her tiny voice barely making it over to me. I finally gave up fighting the urge, reaching out and covering her hands with one of my own, moving slowly enough for her to move away if she wanted. She didn't.

"I know about any injury or illness, and about the deaths of your parents. Nothing more." I assured her. She didn't respond to that, only sat stiffly beside me and stared out the window. "Would you like me to take you back to the shelter?" If she was uncomfortable with me now, I would never force her to stay. I would never hold her hostage, or make her feel like she had to spend time with me. I'd really had no business snooping through her file like that, and I"d known better. If I lost her now, it was my own fault.

Suddenly, her voice broke the silence. "I don't remember my mother." She said it as though she were admitting to a terrible crime. "I mean, I used to have pictures of her, so I know what she looked like, but I don't remember _her._" She paused, looking over at me, and her large brown eyes were wide and frightened. "My dad always talked about her like I should remember her, but I couldn't."

"That's perfectly understandable." I assured her, speaking gently and running a thumb gently over the back of her hand. I wasn't really holding her hand, but the contact was reassuring to me, and I hoped, to her. "You were too young to have remembered…to have formed any solid memories." She nodded, looking back down at her lap. "I truly am sorry, Bella." I murmured, calling her by name for the first time that day. I loved her name…loved the way it sounded when I said it, the way it felt in my mouth. Beautiful, just like her. She smiled timidly, nodding again, but this time, I felt lighter somehow, like she truly wasn't angry with me.

"I don't want you to take me back to the shelter." Her smile softened, and she turned fully to me. "Can we go in?"

"Of course!" Jumping out of the car, I hurried over to the passenger side, opening her door for her, only to realize that I'd left the car running. Cursing under my breath, I ran back to the other side, pulling the keys out of the ignition and spun to face her, smiling sheepishly. To my surprise, I found her laughing under her breath, almost giggling. Thankfully for my ego, she didn't say a word, only waited for me at the edge of the sidewalk outside of the restaurant. This was going to be an interesting date.

_**Thank you for reading!**_


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